Last updated: October 2021
The Air Pollution Garden (APG) in the UK has been established at Sheffield Botanical Gardens through a collaboration between the three White Rose universities of Leeds, York and Sheffield. Typically an (APG) size is 6x8m and contains plants that are particularly sensitive to damage by pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) present in the air. The project owners hope to raise public awareness of air pollution effects in a tangible manner and change people’s behaviours (ref1). In 2017, the city council hosted AirFest to push this initiative further (ref 8), a ‘Phyto-sensor’ toolkit was created by the Citizen Sense research group at the University of London to help identify the best locations for Air Quality Gardens (ref 6) and published the Air Quality Annual Status report (ref 7). In 2020 the project is considered as completed, although there are several different other projects in planning.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Botanical gardens
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
1. To provide observations of air pollution effects on plants (ref 1).
2. RaiSE awareness and educate the public about air pollution and its effect on plants (ref 3).
3. The community vegetable garden will also address hunger issues along with the air pollution issue (ref 3).
4. The species have been specifically chosen due to their sensitivity to pollution, and as the levels of ozone in their immediate vicinity are high, the plants can act as a barometer for the levels of ozone contamination in the city, visually demonstrate the effects of pollution on plants (ref 1).
5. The air pollution park could be served as a blueprint to establish more air pollution gardens across the UK (ref 3).
Implementation activities
The first-ever ‘air pollution garden’, the project was launched in Sheffield where children and students from local school helped to create the garden and surveyed existing plants for signs of pollution damage. Air Quality information packs, badges and notepads, were given to the children (ref 1)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Researchers/university
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen science
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The UK’s first Air Pollution Garden has been established by the University of Sheffield, the University of York and the University of Leeds, together with the Air Aware team at Sheffield City Council. During the implementation of the project, local children and students were invited to observe the study as well as to help the researchers (ref 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. University of Leeds. (2016.) Air Pollution Garden Launches!. Accessed: Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020]
2. University of Sheffield. (2015). Engineering Researcher Awarded Grant to Create New Air Pollution Garden in Sheffield. Accessed:
Source link (This webpage is no longer available)
3. Pollution solution. (2016). UK’s First ‘Air Pollution Garden’ Opens in Sheffield. Accessed Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020]
4. South Yorkshire. nd. Draft- Green Infrastructure Strategy Delivery Programme.
5. The University of Leeds. (2016.) Air Pollution Garden Accessed on July 15, 2020: Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020]
6. Environmental Monitoring Solutions, 2019. Air Quality Garden – Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
7. 2017. Air Quality Annual Status Report 2017. [online] Sheffield: Sheffield City Council. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
8. 2017. Air Quality Annual Status Report 2017. [online] Sheffield: Sheffield City Council. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
9. Source link. 2016. What’S The Damage At UK’S First Air Quality Garden In Sheffield? | Sheffield Newsroom | Sheffield City Council. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020].
2. University of Sheffield. (2015). Engineering Researcher Awarded Grant to Create New Air Pollution Garden in Sheffield. Accessed:
Source link (This webpage is no longer available)
3. Pollution solution. (2016). UK’s First ‘Air Pollution Garden’ Opens in Sheffield. Accessed Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020]
4. South Yorkshire. nd. Draft- Green Infrastructure Strategy Delivery Programme.
5. The University of Leeds. (2016.) Air Pollution Garden Accessed on July 15, 2020: Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020]
6. Environmental Monitoring Solutions, 2019. Air Quality Garden – Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
7. 2017. Air Quality Annual Status Report 2017. [online] Sheffield: Sheffield City Council. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
8. 2017. Air Quality Annual Status Report 2017. [online] Sheffield: Sheffield City Council. Available at: <Source link [Accessed 16 July 2020].
9. Source link. 2016. What’S The Damage At UK’S First Air Quality Garden In Sheffield? | Sheffield Newsroom | Sheffield City Council. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 7 August 2020].