Advancing Collaborative Solutions to Transport-Related Air Pollution: Insights from the MI-TRAP Project

Transport-related emissions are a leading contributor to urban air pollution, posing significant challenges to public health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. This presentation discusses the MItigating TRansport-related Air Pollution in Europe (MI-TRAP) project, a HORIZON EUROPE Innovation Action, that seeks to address these  challenges through advanced monitoring technologies, citizen science methodologies, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policymaking. Implemented across ten European City Pilots, MI-TRAP establishes a robust framework for reducing transport-related air pollution in diverse urban settings.

A cornerstone of MI-TRAP is the International Living Lab (ILL), a collaborative platform designed to engage stakeholders in co-creating and validating solutions for transport-related air pollution. The ILL comprises three sequential workshops, each targeting to drive stakeholder-led innovation. The first workshop establishes the ILL's objectives, gathers insights into local air quality challenges, and documents stakeholder concerns and community needs, ensuring the diverse contexts of each City Pilot are well-represented. This process lays a strong foundation for international collaboration. The second workshop focuses on validating solutions developed across MI-TRAP’s work packages, including technical innovations, epidemiological findings, and nature-based strategies, ensuring their feasibility in real-world urban environments. The third workshop translates these validated solutions into actionable, evidence-based policy recommendations for stakeholders and policymakers. 

This presentation analyses the outcomes of the first ILL workshop (19 February 2024), underscoring the critical role of stakeholder engagement in fostering collaboration among policymakers, researchers, and civil society. By integrating localised data and innovative approaches, the workshop addressed air quality challenges tailored to the unique urban contexts of the City Pilots. MI-TRAP’s stakeholder-driven methodology aligns with broader EU objectives, such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan, illustrating how participatory processes bridge the gap between emissions data and effective policy interventions. By highlighting the insights and strategies derived from the ILL, this presentation emphasises the transformative potential of stakeholder collaboration in addressing transport-related air pollution. The outcomes showcase how co-created solutions can lead to cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments across Europe, advancing the integration of science, policy, and community action.