York air map: citizen science reveals micro-scale urban air pollution through cycling routes

York air map is a collaborative project that merges creative design with atmospheric science to visualise urban air pollution on cycling routes in York, UK. Sixteen small monitors attached to bicycles collected data over six weeks as participants commuted through diverse urban spaces, with the data rendered into accessible maps, diaries and public exhibitions. The work demonstrates how hands-on citizen science can make invisible environmental health issues tangible in everyday life.

• Real-time data reveals exposure variability over short distances and times, challenging city-wide averages.
• Citizen scientists connect statistics to their routes, increasing personal engagement with air quality data.
• Creative design elements and artefacts, including smellable filters, help people identify pollution sources and link data to everyday life.
• Original publisher: Clare Nattress and Daniel Bryant, York St John University and University of York, model citizen-science collaboration for environmental health communication.

Introduction

Air pollution is often framed as a city-wide issue, yet levels can vary dramatically over meters and minutes. This article discusses York air map, a project that blends atmospheric science with creative design to make such variability visible and meaningful for residents. The work sits at the intersection of data science, design, and community engagement, and uses citizen science to expand what is measured and understood about urban air quality.

What is York air map?

The project translates complex environmental data into accessible forms. Sixteen cyclists carried small sensors on their bicycles to monitor air quality across six-week blocks during daily commutes. Data were collected across York, a city of roughly 200,000 people, and presented online via a map that visualises spatial and temporal changes. The cyclists were treated as citizen scientists, contributing to a broader data-monitoring effort that can capture routes and spaces that fixed stations might miss.

Methods and citizen engagement

Researchers from York St John University and the University of York combined technical monitoring with creative communication. Each rider used a commercial air quality sensor paired with a phone app that displayed real-time data. In addition, diaries were kept seasonally to capture subjective experiences of pollution, route choices and perceived health impacts. A distinctive feature of the project was the use of smellable filters in an exhibition context to help visitors guess potential sources of pollution, connecting statistics to tangible phenomena such as wood burning, BBQs, perfumes, and household products.

What the data show

The findings show that exposure is not evenly distributed across the city. While hotspots can be identified, fluctuations occur over short distances and times depending on external factors such as traffic, weather, and rider movement. This challenges common assumptions based on yearly averages and raises questions about health effects from repeated short-term exposures.

Beyond measurements: public-facing outcomes

York air map translates data into maps, visualisations, an informative zine, public exhibitions and community workshops. The project encouraged the 16 citizen scientists to write pollution diaries and discuss their daily commuting experiences. The diaries revealed that riders became more attuned to their surroundings as spikes appeared on the app, suggesting a behavioural link between data exposure and awareness.

Impact and significance

The work demonstrates how citizen science can complement traditional monitoring by capturing data across a city’s corridors and spaces that fixed stations might overlook. It also shows how design-led data representation can help non-experts interpret environmental health information and engage in dialogue about air quality and policy. The authors emphasise that air pollution is not just a problem for factories or capitals but something that affects people on their streets and in their homes.

Conclusion

York air map illustrates a path toward accessible, actionable environmental data through collaborative research and public involvement. By connecting real-time measurements with lived experiences and creative communication, the project aims to broaden engagement with air quality and promote discussions about everyday health decisions and urban planning.

Original publishers

Clare Nattress, York St John University; Daniel Bryant, University of York.