1. UrbanSense Platform: Use cases
Cecília Rocha, Álvaro Costa, J.M. Sousa, Cristina Queirós, A. Carvalho &
LAFEUP, LT-Citta, LFC-CEC, FPCEUP
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2. Future Cities project intends to contribute to …
• Identify critical areas
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Air pollution
Noise pollution
Urban heat islands
…
• Real-time monitoring
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Events
Atmospheric conditions
Pollution levels
Automatic detection of abnormal
situations
• Persons
• Vehicles
• Excessive pollution levels
• Evaluate the impact of urban
projects or interventions
• Ex-ante evaluation
• Post-evaluation procedure
• As example:
• Changes in traffic and related alterations
regarding noise and air pollution levels;
and consequent response from the public
• Changes due to urban interventions in
public spaces, regarding urban heat island
effect
• Analysis of the impact derived from
municipal policies regarding noise from
places from entertainment
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3. Future Cities project intends to contribute to …
• Research, using the city of Porto
as a “living lab”
• previously mentioned…
• Wireless communication
• Patterns recognition and data analysis
• Pointed out henceforward…
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Transports
Environment
Urban areas & energy efficiency
Urban planning.
UrbanSense Platform
Is a network of sensors that,
apart from the
previously mentioned technological
objectives, was designed to be the basic
infrastructure of data collection intended
This sensors’ network will allow to get
relevant information for the research
domains in which this team intends to
develop its knowledge.
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4. UrbanSense Platform characteristics
• Infrastructure
• Environmental sensors network
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Meteorological (T, RH, P, WS, WD)
Noise
Air pollution
Video cameras (person and vehicle counting)
• Technology
• Wireless (real time data)
• Local processing capability
• Position/location
• 25 static units in critical locations
• 50 mobile units aboard STCP buses
Equipment
M1
Units
M 2 Est 1 Est 2
Sensors
S01-Temperature
S02-Relative humidity (hygrometer)
S03-Precipitação (pluviometer)
S04-Wind speed (anemometer)
S05-wind direction (wind-vane)
S06-Luminosity (LDR)
S07-Noise (microphone)
S08-Solar radiation (Pyranometer)
S09-Particule matter (PM10)
S10-Carbon Monoxide (CO)
S11-Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
S12-Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
S13-Ozone (O3)
S14-Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
S15-Video camera
Number of units
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5. UrbanSense Platform
• Will allow to proceed and extend
current lines of research in several
scientific domains
• Highlights the importance of
multidisciplinary research and… a
multidisciplinary team
• Will allow better knowledge of “real”
urban conditions, considering the
parameters to be monitored
Using the city of Porto as
a “living lab” …
Scientific Challenges
Transports & mobility
Public transports
Pedestrian movements
Environment
Noise
Air pollution
Municipal strategies
Urban areas & energy efficiency
Urban interventions in public spaces
Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
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6. Porto as “living lab”
Scientific Challenges
Transports & mobility
“Urban” environment
Urban areas & energy efficiency
• Public transports
• Pedestrian movements
• Noise & Air pollution
• Municipal strategies
• Urban interventions in public spaces
• Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
Transports & mobility
• Public transportation network
• Test some indicators to assess the quality of the network
• Analyse the quality of the network
• Public transportation network and Drivers behaviour
• Analyse the events and/or conditions that potentiate stress along the network
• Analyse the influence of stress effect on driving patterns along the network
• Pedestrian movements
• Analyse patterns and tendencies
• Analyse the cross influence of factors regarding the motivation to walk
• Analyse pedestrian movements and perceptions as users of the city
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7. Porto as “living lab”
Scientific Challenges
Transports & mobility
“Urban” environment
Urban areas & energy efficiency
• Public transports
• Pedestrian movements
• Noise & Air pollution
• Municipal strategies
• Urban interventions in public spaces
• Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
“Urban” Environment
• Noise and Air pollution
• Monitor the quality of the environment
• Test some indicators for the quality of the environment gathering those pollutants
• Test the accuracy of models
• Test the possibility of using several forms of monitoring and estimate the referring errors
• Analyse the influence of urban interventions on the propagation of pollutants
• Noise annoyance and quality of life
• Analyse the perception of discomfort by the users (perceptions of quality of life)
• Analyse the perception of discomfort on the part of neighbours of noisy activities (for example, bars and
clubs or discos or even large social and cultural events)
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8. Porto as “living lab”
Scientific Challenges
Transports & mobility
“Urban” environment
Urban areas & energy efficiency
• Public transports
• Pedestrian movements
• Noise & Air pollution
• Municipal strategies
• Urban interventions in public spaces
• Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
Urban areas & Energy efficiency
• Urban interventions in public spaces
• Characterize the urban micro-climate conditions, particularly, in public spaces
• Monitor the use of public spaces before and after urban interventions (when possible)
• Investigate the different patterns of use of public spaces
• Some indicators for the quality of the urban environment regarding presence or absence of green
areas, climatic conditions, characteristics of the materials
• Monitor the effects of interventions in urban areas in terms of hygrothermal comfort and public
appreciation
• Monitor the use of the public space considering the quality of the urban environment and it’s impact on
pedestrians (e.g. fear of crime perceptions elicited by graffiti and “broken windows” theory)
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9. Porto as “living lab”
Scientific Challenges
Transports & mobility
“Urban” environment
Urban areas & energy efficiency
• Public transports
• Pedestrian movements
• Noise & Air pollution
• Municipal strategies
• Urban interventions in public spaces
• Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
Urban areas & Energy efficiency
• Urban climate and (sustainable) buildings
• Analyse the influence of urban form on wind propagation and sun exposure
• Characterize the urban micro-climate conditions
• Test the accuracy of urban climatology and bioclimatic design models
• Analyse the relevance of using more realistic data in simulations of the thermal behavior of buildings in
urban areas, in terms of energy efficiency
• Evaluate the significance of having more realistic data for an adequate design and choice of solutions
regarding energy efficiency, not only in buildings but also in public spaces
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10. UrbanSense Platform: Use Cases
Some anticipated challenges
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11. Ex: challenge 1
Changes in traffic schemes or traffic movements
(volume, speed, pavement, …)
Changes in environmental noise & air pollutants concentration…
…in a given area
Transports
“Urban”
environment
But, what happens elsewhere?
How does urban form interfere with air pollutants dispersion?
And with noise propagation?
Urban areas &
energy efficiency
How does it interfere with transportation policies?
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12. Ex: challenge 2
How do people access those activities?
Transports
Public Transportation? Private vehicles?
Are there parking facilities nearby?
“Urban”
environment
Municipal policies regarding noise from permanent activities
(the problem arises from the activity or from the gathering outdoors?)
Urban areas &
energy efficiency
How can spatial planning contribute or prevent annoyance?
Are activities properly located, in terms of use conflict?
… in terms of public transportation?
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13. Ex: challenge 3
Is it possible to deviate the traffic? Is it possible to impose a
modal switch for a less pollutant form of transportation?
Is it possible to reduce the number of vehicles in
circulation, by reducing the needs of transportation?
Transports
Air pollutants monitoring and meteorological conditions monitoring
O3, PM10, …
N.º persons, N.º vehicles, speed, T, RH, Wspeed, Wdirection, …
Identify areas with “problems” and program interventions
New conditions for public spaces (ex.: pedestrian zones, green
areas)
“Urban”
environment
Urban areas &
energy efficiency
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14. Ex: challenge 4
Transports
“Urban”
environment
Are there any changes in the traffic scheme?
New pedestrian areas? New public transportation routes?
Changes in environmental noise & air pollutants concentration…
…in a given area
But, what happens elsewhere?
Urban areas &
energy efficiency
Urban renewal interventions
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15. Ex: challenge 5
Does new roads influence the micro-climate conditions?
How should this issue be addressed when planning a new
development?
Better knowledge of the micro-climate conditions
Realistic input values for models
Transports
“Urban”
environment
Monitoring of the environmental conditions
Need for urban renewal interventions in buildings with more
concern in terms of energy efficiency
demand for…
Urban areas &
energy efficiency
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16. PORTO – Living Lab for Future Cities
www.futurecities.up.pt
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