ESRI technology contributes to improving the urban environment, health and quality of life in Lisbon

NOVA Cidade – Urban Analytics Laboratory, Research and Innovation Laboratory for Smart and Sustainable Cities of the NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) of the University of Nova de Lisboa (UNL), located in Campolide, has been more than in recent years, developing many projects on how to Management Information and Data Science can help build a new paradigm around smart and sustainable cities, through a data-driven approach to planning and management.

One of these projects was Sensing for Campolide, Co-financed by the Environment Fund, and implemented in partnership with the Association for the Conservation of Nature (LPN) and the Professional School of Geographical Sciences (EPCG), which collaborated with a network of stakeholders and partners, such as the Parish Campolide Council (JFC), Grade 9 B of Escola Marquesa de Alorna ( EMA) and third-year students in technical courses in Environmental Management and Geographic Information Systems at EPCG. – As you begin by explaining to us Miguel by Castro Neto, Sub-Director of NOVA IMS and Coordinator of NOVA Cidade – Urban Analytics Lab “This project is part of one of the dimensions of the laboratory’s intervention, specifically: working effectively with the community that surrounds us and sharing our knowledge with them, especially in the context of data literacy. Since NOVA IMS and NOVA Cidade Laboratory are located in Campolide, we currently have several projects With the Campolide Diocese Council, and in this context this measure appeared.”

Contribute not only to a better environment and a smarter approach to Campolide land management, but also to raising people’s awareness of the impact of water quality, air, noise and green areas on the health of urban dwellers, through an educational approach, demonstrating the impact of urbanization, mobility and green infrastructure. These were buildings Sensing for Campolide, which put students in grade 9 B of the School of Marquesa de Alorna (EMA) to collect data from their urban environment and conduct their analysis, thus enhancing their digital literacy and creating the ability to propose initiatives that contribute to the common good.

The goal passed through the use of technology (to feel the environment) and the inclusion of young people not only knowledge and awareness in the environmental part, but also the way that data and information technology can really help to get the knowledge that it is realistic and not based on mere opinions or assumptions.

As for the phases of the project: in the first phase, fixed environmental sensors were installed throughout the territory of Kambolide, and in the second phase, portable sensors were distributed, carried by young people for a certain period of time, to collect even environmental data. It should be noted that the students held awareness sessions with the LPN on environment, water and air quality issues, after they also learned from the EPCG how to collect samples from the sun and water to perform analyzes on these dimensions. The students then used handheld sensors and were able to access data from fixed monitoring stations, to develop analyzes on this same data.

It was in this last stage, and because it was intended to take advantage of the information collected, analyze the data and understand its impact or relevance in spatially, the technique of Esri Portugal, Training sessions were held with young people to understand how they can use data, get data from other sources (notably Lisboa Aberta – Open Data Portal of the City of Lisbon), build maps and dashboards, etc.

“in In fact, our ambition was also to use this framework to provide knowledge in data literacy and we used Esri technology as a platform to be able to visualize, plan, plan, and build dynamic and interactive dashboards that provide indicators that were produced using data collected with sensors and other data we collected during the project “. it is good Miguel de Castro Netto.

The choice of Esri technology has been linked to several factors, but above all because it is a global reference in the field of information management and analysis of the spatial dimension. “We wanted to take advantage of the best available technology, and in this area, we believe Esri is a very strong player, and it immediately gave us the ready-to-use tool for value creation.” finish Miguel de Castro Nettoin addition to that “While it is true that there are many offerings in the GIS space that are open source solutions, with Esri in the lab we have been able to spend resources not on software configuration and development, but with resources to explore data and create value! To that end, we use our I consider it the best available option, because what we intend is information processing, analysis and production rather than software development and customization, and not forgetting the available knowledge base.”

Indeed, using ArcGis – a mapping and analysis tool – it was possible to collect, from static environmental sensors, desired insights about urban ecology and biodiversity in a geo-local way in a given portal, where not only students, but anyone interested can browse and search ( https://sensingcampolide-novacidade.hub.arcgis.com).

Another important aspect to note Miguel de Castro Netto is that it would not be possible to do this type of analysis and reach this type of conclusion without GIS or geographic information systems Perhaps geography is the variable that best explains what is happening around us and this applies to all regions. However, I believe that society and organizations have not yet realized the full potential positive impact that geography and the ability to analyze the spatial dimension can have.”

As for the benefits generated, first of all, it is important to point out the ease of use and how this allows for the democratization of technology, allowing everyone to get to know their surroundings better. Here we are talking about Esri’s technology and sensing technology, which has allowed students from grade 9 B of the Marquesa de Alorna (EMA) and year 3 of technical courses in Environmental Management and GIS at EPCG to achieve, in a short period of time, data collection, and enhance its analysis and produce relevant information about the reality that surrounds it. And when we have access to this knowledge, our way of thinking changes and some prejudices about the reality around us disappear, which in itself is a positive aspect that must be pointed out, and creates a space of opportunities for us to design initiatives that solve problems. . or enhance opportunities.

These types of initiatives are also useful because they put young people in direct contact with solutions and tools that can help them be active citizens, being able to perceive the effects of human intervention in the territory as well as our daily habits in a realistic way. Today, especially in the ability to combat the climate emergency and create conditions of well-being and quality of life for people.

In this specific project, the students were able, for example, to understand quantitative differences in air quality and noise in a regional space, as these environmental variables were monitored and sensing was carried out, both in Campolide areas where construction and buildings are very dense and massive as in Residential complexes. In other words, it was possible for the students to effectively understand, based on the data, the effects of the choices they make regarding spatial planning and the effects of daily habits on the quality of their surroundings. In the case of Campolide, for example, a highly sensitive variable, the noise problem, was discovered, and the students had to identify this type of problem through their own observation and provide interesting and alternative ideas for the area. .

This project was implemented in Campolide, but the idea is that it can be replicated in other schools in other regions of the country, taking advantage of everything that has been done in this pilot and available on the project portal, from the roadmap to learning models, the most convenient equipment to use, Preparing for training courses and workshops.

finally, Miguel de Castro Netto It refers to the four ambitions of SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: sustainability, security, resilience and inclusion, and draws attention to the fact that “…in the world we live in, there are still many people who are excluded from information, that is, people who today cannot take advantage of the resources available with digital transformation to respond to the challenges we face. Therefore, there is a social responsibility to bring some knowledge to these students from the Marquesa de Alorna School in relation to data literacy, and to show them the techniques freely available to them to use.”