Westminster City Council has identified air pollution as a serious environmental and public health concern, because of its location in central London and busy streets. In response to this issue, the council has launched the Westminster Air Quality Data Platform to provide transparent, accessible data to residents and visitors. This platform looks to inform communities to understand and limit their exposure to poor air quality.
Despite the council’s efforts, residents often struggle to interpret and understand air quality datasets, limiting their effectiveness in decision-making and community action. To address this, the council introduced a user-friendly platform in July 2023, offering real-time and historical air quality information.
The platform is beneficial in two ways. It increases awareness among residents about air quality levels and the underlying health implications while exposing them to environmental inequalities across Westminster. Notably, residents in deprived areas face higher pollution levels, underlining the necessity for targeted interventions.
To maintain this approach, the council actively seeks to gain resident feedback through research panels and focus groups. Based on this input, improvements such as a quick overview page were swiftly implemented, demonstrating responsiveness to user needs. The council also plans to conduct longitudinal studies to track user engagement and refine the platform accordingly.
In essence, the Westminster Air Quality Data Platform represents a proactive response to air pollution, fostering informed decision-making and community engagement while striving for environmental equity and public health improvement.
