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Poster Short Abstract

Urban ReLeaf engages citizens in six European cities to monitor heat, air quality, and greenspaces using sensors, apps, and mapping tools. By combining technology with lived experience, residents and authorities co-create climate adaptation strategies for greener, healthier cities.

Poster Abstract

European cities face escalating environmental pressures including air pollution, heat stress, and uneven access to green spaces. Urban ReLeaf positions citizen science at the heart of inclusive urban greening, helping cities design nature-based solutions that strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity, and social equity. The project demonstrates how citizen science can close knowledge gaps, inform evidence-based decision-making, and empower residents, particularly those from vulnerable or marginalised groups, to shape greener, healthier cities.

Urban ReLeaf supports six pilot cities introducing campaigns testing innovative approaches to citizen science for policy impact. In Athens, residents and municipal workers combine wearable sensor data and lived experiences with a participatory tree registry to tackle heat stress and improve tree management. Cascais participants map thermal comfort, producing maps of hot spots and comfort zones that guide climate adaptation planning. Dundee engages families, students, and vulnerable groups in monitoring air pollution and park quality to inform inclusive greenspace upgrades. In Mannheim, volunteers gather heat perceptions while supporting a participatory tree registry, linking personal comfort with environmental data. Riga residents trace their own routes with sensors and comfort logs, complemented by community air quality monitoring to shape greening in traffic-heavy neighborhoods. Utrecht citizens map hot and cool spots with sensor data feeding a Digital Twin, ensuring diverse voices influence climate resilience strategies.

Together, these cities showcase how inclusive citizen science methods strengthen partnerships between residents and public authorities. By embedding citizen science into governance processes, Urban ReLeaf advances more equitable, data-driven urban planning and transformative strategies for sustainable urban futures.