Journal Article Ppublish 13 citations
PubMed: 37972280 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05000
Data Insights for Sustainable Cities: Associations between Google Street View-Derived Urban Greenspace and Google Air View-Derived Pollution Levels.
Environ Sci Technol 57(48):19637-19648
Authors: Maria E S Sabedotti, Anna C O'Regan, Marguerite M Nyhan
Affiliations
- Discipline of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Architecture, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland. MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate & Marine, University College Cork, Ringaskiddy, CorkP43 C573, Ireland. Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Lee Rd, Sundays, Well, Cork T23 XE10, Ireland.
- Discipline of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Architecture, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland.
- MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate & Marine, University College Cork, Ringaskiddy, CorkP43 C573, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Lee Rd, Sundays, Well, Cork T23 XE10, Ireland.
Abstract
Unprecedented levels of urbanization have escalated urban environmental health issues, including increased air pollution in cities globally. Strategies for mitigating air pollution, including green urban planning, are essential for sustainable and healthy cities. State-of-the-art research investigating urban greenspace and pollution metrics has accelerated through the use of vast digital data sets and new analytical tools. In this study, we examined associations between Google Street View-derived urban greenspace levels and Google Air View-derived air quality, where both have been resolved in extremely high resolution, accuracy, and scale along the entire road network of Dublin City. Particulate matter of size fraction less than 2.5 μm (PM), nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide were quantified using 5,030,143 Google Air View measurements, and greenspace was quantified using 403,409 Google Street View images. Significant ( < 0.001) negative associations between urban greenspace and pollution were observed. For example, an interquartile range increase in the Green View Index was associated with a 7.4% [95% confidence interval: -13.1%, -1.3%] decrease in NO at the point location spatial resolution. We provide insights into how large-scale digital data can be harnessed to elucidate urban environmental interactions that will have important planning and policy implications for sustainable future cities.
MeSH
Air Pollution, Air, Environmental Pollution, Cities, Environmental Health, Sanitation