Enhancing Citizen Observatories for healthy, sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities

Citizen Observatories (COs) empower residents to become active contributors to the observation and management of their local environments. Instrumented with low-cost sensors, communities can monitor the environment. However, the data and insights from COs do not always contribute to policy development. To address this challenge, the CitiObs project (www.citiobs.eu) is developing tools, methodologies and approaches to enhance COs in observing, monitoring, and protecting the urban environment, with a focus on air quality.  

CitiObs employs a co-creation framework, working closely with 85 COs to develop, test, and scale its tools and methodologies. Activities such as needs assessment workshops, capacity-building sessions, and strategic roadshows ensure the broad participation of stakeholders, from local citizens to EU policymakers.   

We follow a socio-technical approach, aiming to drive societal transformation by integrating technical innovations with participatory governance, enabling localized citizen-led actions. CitiObs technical approach focuses on advancing the use of sensors, generating Analysis Ready Data (ARD), and creating Decision Ready Information (DRI) to support environmental monitoring and policymaking. To make data FAIR the project uses Sensor Thing API (and the Citizen Science extension: STAplus). To create ARD, the project has developed automated calibration methods to improve sensor accuracy and has proposed a unified terminology for data quality levels to ensure consistency and interoperability across datasets. The validated data is then used to generate DRI, as, for example, high-resolution maps of air pollution and thermal stress (e.g., integrating sensor data with satellite observations and CAMS models). The ARD and DRI can then be used for customized analytics, and it facilitates the uptake of policy makers and scientists as it ensures that citizen-collected data is reliable, or of known-quality. CitiObs social approach emphasizes inclusive citizen engagement, participatory governance, and citizen-led actions to foster sustainable urban environments. The project is developing four toolkits. 

The Leaving No One Behind Toolkit helps COs enhance diversity and inclusion with practical guidance and resources for more inclusive initiatives. The Participation Dynamics Toolkit supports COs in fostering strong stakeholder relationships, addressing conflicts, and building trust. The Citizen Led Action Toolkit empowers communities to drive environmental protection through co-creation tools for planning impactful actions, often with artists and creatives. Lastly, the Environmental Monitoring Toolkit (https://github.com/citiobs) provides resources for affordable, open environmental monitoring, covering sensor selection, data quality, and interoperability. 

The project’s outcomes include the development of a comprehensive Knowledge Platform and the CitiObs Cookbook, which will serve as resources for communities and practitioners in Europe and worldwide to establish or enhance their own Citizen Observatories. We are currently collaborating with the Citizen Science Global Partnership to transfer the know-how generated in the project to other countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. 

We acknowledge funding for CitiObs project from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.101086421.