Overview of NIWA's Urban Air Quality and Health group research on integrating exposure concepts into urban planning through measurement campaigns and the development of the TOTUS system. Presented at the seminar – Urban air quality: Relationships between urban form, pollutant behaviour and population health. Date: Tuesday 25 November, Venue: Adam Auditorium, ground floor, City Gallery, Civic Square, 101 Wakefield St, Wellington. http://sustainablecities.org.nz/2014/11/seminar-urban-air-quality/

1. Air Quality and Urban Design
Gustavo Olivares
Urban Air Quality and Health
http://www.niwa.co.nz/atmosphere/programme-overview/atmospheric-environment-health-and-society

2. Air Quality and Urban Design
A decision made today can influence local air quality for decades

3. Air Quality and Urban Design
A decision made today can influence local air quality for decades
More PT
Clark et al. Env. Sci & Technol. 2011

4. Air Quality and Urban Design
NIWA urban air quality research programme
The programme aims to answer two key questions
1. How does a pollutant emitted in one place become a concentration
measured somewhere else?
2. Why and how is my exposure to pollutants different from yours?

5. Air Quality and Urban Design
NIWA urban air quality research programme
The programme aims to answer two key questions
1. How does a pollutant emitted in one place become a concentration
measured somewhere else?
2. Why and how is my exposure to pollutants different from yours?

6. Air Quality and Urban Design
NIWA urban air quality research programme
The programme aims to answer two key questions
1. How does a pollutant emitted in one place become a concentration
measured somewhere else?
2. Why and how is my exposure to pollutants different from yours?

7. Air Quality and Urban Design
high resolution spatial and temporal measurements of pollutants
Steep concentration gradients close to roads
Clear signal of elevated NO2 at
roadside compared to ~150m away
Mangere Bridge median UFP levels
for all early morning data combined

8. Air Quality and Urban Design
Research application: Roadside assessment and land-use rules

9. Air Quality and Urban Design
high resolution spatial and temporal measurements of pollutants.
In Auckland CBD, pollutant concentrations vary considerably over short
distances
PM2.5 concentrations (left) and BC absorbance (right) in Auckland
NO2 concentrations in Auckland

10. Air Quality and Urban Design
From data to information
User
interrogation
traffic
Transport
(GPS)
meteorology
Air sensors
Conventional
air
monitoring

11. Air Quality and Urban Design
TOwards susTainable Urban FormS - TOTUS
GIS - capable database that integrates different information layers and models
to enable comprehensive assessment of development options.

12. Air Quality and Urban Design
high resolution models of pollutant distributions and population exposure
Concentrations
Exposure to traffic emissions
whilst travelling to school
NO2 in Auckland
UFP in Otahuhu

14. Air Quality and Urban Design
And now?
TOTUS is currently developed within the Resilient Urban Futures programme
(RUF) with a focus on general usability and relevance
What else do you need to know?
• Planning scenarios
• Demographic changes
• Transport plans
• Energy policy
http://totus-niwa.dyndns.org