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Europe’s Air Pollution Contributes to Cardiovascular Disease, Reduces Life Expectancy – Study

Mortality rate from ambient air pollution in Europe is 790,000

From Filed Under: 2019, Featured, SCIENCE & STUDIES

 

The European Heart Journal has published a study modeling the effect of air pollution in Europe on cardiovascular health. It finds that air pollution may have a greater effect on mortality from cardiovascular illness than previously believed, but notes that the hazard ratio used allows for a “high degree of uncertainty.”

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Non-Communicable Diseases the Leading Cause of Mortality

 

World Health Organization figures show that non-communicable diseases account for 71 percent of the world’s deaths. Of these, 31 percent of deaths were the result of cardiovascular disease while the rest can be attributed to cancer, diabetes and lung disease.

In Europe, 45 percent of deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease. We know that there are many risk factors involved, but the authors of the new study believe that environmental factors that contribute to heart disease, including air pollution, are being underestimated in current Global Burden of Disease (GED) estimates.

 

Medical Experts Warn of Particulate Pollution Hazard

 

The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health estimates that nine million unnecessary deaths are caused by unhealthy environmental conditions and attributes half of the problem to air pollution.

Very fine particulate pollutants smaller than 2.5 µm in diameter are the primary concern as a mounting body of evidence points towards these pollutants as contributors to heart disease and death.

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Using statistical models, the new research points towards cardiovascular disease caused by air pollution as reducing average life expectancy in Europe by as much as two years. This would mean that in total, air pollution contributes to approximately 790,000 people in Europe annually.

The study estimates that of these, mortality will be as a result of:

  • Lung cancer: 7 percent
  • COPD: 6 percent
  • Pneumonia: 7 percent
  • Stroke: 8 percent
  • Ischemic heart disease: 40 percent
  • Other non-communicable diseases: 37 percent

 

Air Quality Standards Inadequate

 

The study’s authors note that EU air quality standards call for an average air quality limit of 25 µg/m3  – more than double the 10 µg/m3 level suggested by the World Health Organization – and even this figure will not reduce the hazard ratio below 1.

In fact, the EU air quality standard promulgated in 2015 is far laxer than that of the US, where the annual average limit is 12 µg/m3 and Australia and Canada, which both have standards in line with, or more stringent than, the 10 µg/m3 WHO recommendation. Both countries also have concrete plans to improve air quality still further.

In addition, there are areas in Europe where pollution levels exceed the already-lax air quality standard significantly. Europe, says the report, must urgently prioritize clean air for the sake of human health.

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Cleaner Air in the EU is Achievable

 

The goal of cleaner air will not be impossible to reach. Europe is already moving away from fossil fuels, and although it’s no panacea, cutting out their use would increase average life expectancy by 1 to 1.4 years.

Thus, moving to renewable energy will have immense health benefits and may even have a greater impact on reduced mortality than the reduction in cigarettes smoking achieved in recent decades.

 

 

Exciting Surveys Published In Middle East Mega City Infrastructure Report 2019

The survey looks at the ways in which the Middle East is adopting smart technology and how it plans to do so in the future

From Filed Under: 2019, Featured, SCIENCE & STUDIES

 

The annual Middle East Mega City Infrastructure Report views the future of the region’s infrastructure from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Sustainability is key, but financing presents the greatest challenge. And that, says IQPC Middle East Managing Director, Ayusha Tyagi, brings with it challenges, including the need to structure project financing and incorporate automation and IoT into infrastructure.

What technologies will be most in demand? Which solutions are still being sought, and what challenges await? The survey looks at the ways in which the Middle East is adopting smart technology and how it plans to do so in the future.

 

The Survey and its Participants

 

The report is based on a survey which was sent to leading figures from government, educational, and private organizations and provides a breakdown of the areas of interest, organization type, and geographical area represented. Areas of interest represented included housing, ports, and roads infrastructure.

Subject-matter experts from countries outside the Middle East may have represented a minority of respondents, but the leavening of international thought leaders adds a third-party perspective to the on-the-ground observations of government representatives, local contractors, and academics who participated.

 

 

 

Housing and Residential Development Challenges

 

The majority of survey participants said that sustainability and affordability were the two greatest challenges in bringing smart technologies to housing and residential development.

However, they are quick to point out that the two characteristics need not be mutually exclusive. Indeed, the contrary may be true. Since sustainable housing has a smaller resource footprint, it is logical it will prove more cost-effective, at least in the long run.

 

The Next Big Thing

 

Nearly half the respondents said they thought “smart” homes, cities, and communities would be the next major trend in new infrastructure. Commentators see smart automation and smart homes as a factor that will redefine the way we experience our living spaces and our cities.

 

 
 


Port authorities and roads infrastructure experts are also looking at smart mobility, blockchain, and other data-based elements as tools to help them achieve their vision as providers of world-class infrastructure.

 

Widely-Used Solutions

 

When asked about solutions that respondents planned to apply to current or upcoming projects, sustainable material choices topped the list. But with air conditioning a major energy consumer in the Middle East, energy-efficient HVAC is a close second. Notably, our “next big thing,” smart automation, gets a look-in here as number three on the list of desirable solutions already being implemented.

 

Middle East Mega City solutions to implement
(Middle East Mega City Infrastructure Annual Report 2019)

 

To view the detailed report, click here.

 

Greatest Challenges

 

With IoT and smart automation from home to community and city level having been identified as a desirable solution, the challenge of finding suitable technology partners rears its head. The technology applied in smart cities must be scalable and each element needs to integrate into a larger ecosystem.

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For new projects to get off the ground, funding must be raised, and the more ambitious and costly the project, the greater the challenge in persuading funders to provide financial support. Respondents rated financing as the second-greatest challenge cities face when embarking on sustainable infrastructure projects.

Port authorities also identified technological challenges and the need for training as being a priority. Many Middle Eastern ports are striving to gain a greater share of shipping by introducing the latest digitization and automation, and although overcapacity is the next-greatest on the list of port-related challenges, it’s worth remembering that several large port upgrade projects in the Middle East have only recently been commissioned.

Roads infrastructure projects, however, are most often plagued by project delays with respondents citing unreliable contractors, material choices and design issues as accounting for most late completions.

 

What’s Changing?

 

The survey results show a knock-on effect as one changing paradigm impacts on the next. Sustainability got the most votes as the big innovation that will change future cities – but to enable that, we need technology – smart technology.

Of course, all this tech is going to gather a lot of data, so big data makes an appearance on the list of expected innovations, while the next logical step once you have data being used to run cities and make decisions is to make sure that data is safe and secure.

 

The Outlook for Renewable Energy

 

Renewable energy has been making inroads into the Middle Eastern energy mix in recent years with large solar parks being constructed and commissioned in several countries. However, obstacles to the adoption of renewable energy do exist. As always, obtaining funding may not be easy, and with much of the existing infrastructure in need of upgrades before readiness can be achieved, the cost is likely to be much higher than it may superficially seem.

 

Coming Soon

 

When asked to identify elements that will be incorporated into current or future projects, most respondents agreed that smart water and energy use and improved waste management were on the cards. However, one respondent criticized the questionnaire design, pointing out that other items listed, such as emissions monitoring and solar panels were components forming part of the two central themes.

 

Megacities of the Future: Shaped by Technology

 

When asked if technological elements like robotics, big data, and automation would have an impact on the Middle Eastern cities of the future, 85 percent of respondents responded that they would.

What may surprise some readers is that 15 percent of respondents said they would not. However, the Middle East is by no means a homogenous region and what is feasible in one area may not be feasible in another. No breakdown of results by geographical area was included and no motivation for the minority opinion that technology would not be widely adopted in city management, housing and infrastructure was given.

 

Megacity Infrastructure Week to Zero in on Trends in April

 

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The Middle East Mega City Infrastructure report was compiled and published by the Mega City Infrastructure Week, an event that will showcase new developments and technologies in infrastructure and city management. The event takes place from 16 to 17 April in Dubai.

The event itself will feature over 50 hours of conferences, a Mega City Challenge in which selected students will present innovations that could contribute to the cities of tomorrow, an opportunity for start-ups to showcase promising new ventures, exhibition halls, networking opportunities and more.

Without doubt, content will be influenced by the survey results, and decision makers can expect to find the latest innovations and ideas under the spotlight during the two-day event.

 

Planning To Keep Cool: An Approach to Climate Responsive Urban Green Infrastructure

Design Guidelines Needed: Theory and Practice Meet

From Filed Under: 2019, Climate, GREEN SPACE, SCIENCE & STUDIES

For decades, we’ve known that urban environments modify climate. The “heat island” effect caused by hard surfaces boosts city temperatures, and with global warming adding its contribution to heat woes, urban heat stress becomes a very real phenomenon.

Just as we see climate responsive buildings that can save energy on lighting, heating and cooling through clever design that works with the surrounding environment, so urban landscape architecture should be climate responsive. To achieve this, says Wieke Klemm, a researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, landscape architects need situational knowledge of the specific location and its unique characteristics as well as general knowledge spanning a wide range of topics including methods to influence microclimate, promote biodiversity, and facilitate recreation.

What is Urban Green Infrastructure?

Klemm sees Urban Green Infrastructure as embracing the entire network of green spaces in urban environments. They include public and private gardens, street trees, and parks, and together, they provide ecosystem services to urbanized areas. The vision would be to design and manage these spaces so that they regulate city microclimates resulting in greater comfort and reduced thermal stress.

The Cooling Effect of Urban Greenery

Urban greenery has two broad impacts on thermal comfort. On an objective level, it reduces ambient temperatures and the physical stress associated with radiated light and heat. You could be up to 1.7° C cooler in a cluster of trees or under a tree with a large canopy.

Rather than using precise targets as decision-making tools for
heat-mitigating design proposals, I recommend using thermo-spatial
knowledge to design thermally comfortable outdoor places
Wiebke Klemm

 

When under smaller trees, the temperature isn’t lower, but you have the comfort of shade and reduced glare so you feel cooler. Meanwhile, the shaded and vegetated surfaces don’t absorb as much heat and won’t have as much heat to give off later on.

There’s definitely a subjective effect. It’s possible that we all perceive thermal comfort differently, but our behavior is certainly influenced by urban greenery and its microclimate-regulating effects. The simplest example is moving into the shade of a tree on a hot day.

 
 


But most people don’t consciously gravitate to urban parks to get cooler. They enjoy the recreational, aesthetic, and psychological benefits of green spaces too. Nevertheless, Klemm points to research that shows a preference for green spaces with shade and water features.

Design Guidelines Needed: Theory and Practice Meet

For landscape architects and urban planners to obtain the best combination of benefits from urban green infrastructure, design guidelines are needed.

Klemm sees the development of these guidelines as consisting of a process in which real-life contexts are used to evaluate urban green infrastructure impacts on microclimate. This information feeds into evidence-based design guidelines which can be implemented in practice, evaluated, and further refined.

Green Infrastructure Guidelines: Using What we Know

By compiling accepted knowledge and information, Klemm and her research team formulated a simple set of design guidelines for urban green infrastructure. The guidelines covered cities as a whole, parks, and streets. A team of landscape architects and a team of Master’s Degree students were each supplied with the guidelines, and their responses were recorded.

In general, both groups saw the importance of considering microclimate in landscape design – not only in determining site conditions, but in altering them for greater comfort.

However, landscape architecture professionals expressed concern about implementing the guidelines for use at city and street level while approving the guidelines generated for use at park level. Participants felt that the city level guidelines, which include expanding green spaces to form interconnected corridors, were self-evident, but could be difficult to implement.

Naturally, thermal adaptation isn’t just about keeping cool. The guidelines for parks recommends a diversity of shaded, half-shaded and sunny areas with multiple potential functions and park benches allowing park visitors to choose how much sun they want to get.

At street level, tree selection and placement play a vital role. Deciduous trees allow sun through in the winter, and the researchers recommend species with wide canopies for streets subject to high sun exposure. But thermal perception also matters, and the guide suggests using greenery at different heights or levels to improve it – a measure that may be difficult to implement on many existing urban streets.

Where to From Here?

According to Klemm, climate responsive green infrastructure design isn’t getting the attention it should. She argues that global warming may soon make it a priority, even in mild climates like that of the Netherlands.

Microclimate enjoys some attention as a design consideration, but improved consciousness could lead to more focused implementation of the design guidelines, a greater volume of scientific evidence, and a refined set of green infrastructure guidelines for the cities of tomorrow.

 

Sustainable Cities Index 2018 Presents Citizen Centric Archetype

In the Sustainable Cities Index 2018, Arcadis produced a spectrum of citizen centric city archetypes

From Filed Under: 2018, Featured, SCIENCE & STUDIES

 

In a world where we are beginning to understand that sustainability means ultimate survival, the way our cities support their inhabitants and interact with the environment has drawn a lot of attention as we seek a blueprint for the future. Every year, Arcadis, a global consultancy firm, rates the world’s cities for sustainability. It looks at how cities support people, planet, and profit and highlights the achievements and challenges we confront in the quest for urban sustainability.

 

London, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Singapore, Vienna: The Top Five

 

This year’s Arcadis top-five ranking is essentially a reshuffle of 2015’s or 2016’s ranking with the exception of Zurich which loses its top spot while Edinburgh edges its way into the upper rankings.

 
 


Arcadis notes that the overall rankings will necessarily be influenced by cities’ performance in the individual categories that comprise them. For example, while top contender, London showed fairly balanced performance across categories, Stockholm and Vienna fared best in their planet-friendliness scores, Edinburgh performed best in people-related measurements, and Singapore took the crown in the profit category.

 

Overall ranking - the sustainable cities index 2018 from Arcadis
City sustainability from the perspective of the citizen (Arcadis)

 

Citizen Centric Archetypes – Understanding the Differences Between Cities

 

In its report, Arcadis points out that the differences between cities can be viewed from the perspective of citizens and how they relate to the city. By looking at the three pillars of sustainability and the city characteristics that define citizen’s experience, Arcadis produced a spectrum of citizen centric city archetypes which can, in turn, be used to classify cities into so-called clusters.

 

city archetypes-citizen centric cities - the sustainable cities index 2018 from Arcadis
City archetype details for a deeper insight into the factors that
influence the performance and development of cities (Arcadis)

 

The four clusters are:

Balanced Innovators

These affluent cities occupy the top 25 percent of the Sustainable Cities Index and offer residents security and convenience. Automation and sensing technology contribute to quality of life and the cities rank well in the Sustainable Cities Index. Future challenges will include the need to cater for an aging population. Many Northern European cities and affluent cities in Asia fall into this cluster.

Post-industrial Opportunists

Arcadis identifies this second-quartile cluster of cities as delivering fair quality of life with room for improvement. Although automation can contribute to quality of life in these cities, it is a greater threat to employment. However, they have balanced economies and should be resistant to economic dislocation. A significant number of US cities occupy this second-tier cluster.

Evolutionary Cities

When cities confront rapid change, a lively informal economy often takes the place of more traditional structures. There’s a greater focus on community on the micro level – but also a greater vulnerability to disruption. Examples of such cities can be found in the lower third quartile of the Sustainable Cities Index. This cluster consists of a mixture of cities in developing economies as well as older citied confronting a time of radical change.

Fast-Growing Megacities

These industrial giants exhibit a high level of income inequality. Enterprise-driven and located in rapidly growing economies there is a large informal economic sector and a constant flow of new arrivals. With the focus on immediate gains above sustainability, these cities occupy the lowest quartile of the Index. This quartile is dominated by cities in Asia and India.

 

Level of Development Correlates Less with Sustainability Than Citizen Experience

 

In looking at the world’s cities from a citizen-centric perspective, Arcadis hopes to spark debate on the ways all aspects of sustainability impact on quality of life – and the ways in which elements that limit citizen satisfaction feedback to sustainability.

Arcadis concludes that it’s possible for a city to have a high sustainability ranking yet still not be sustainable from its citizens’ perspective. The challenge is for cities to identify their citizen centric challenges along with their sustainability challenges and develop ways to meet the present and future needs of their populations.

 

 

profit sub index - the sustainable cities index 2018 from Arcadis
Profit sub-index of the Sustainable Cities Index 2018 (Arcadis)

 

planet sub index - the sustainable cities index 2018 from Arcadis
Planet sub-index – measuring sustainable attributes of cities such as green space, pollution, support for low carbon transport, and further indicators (Arcadis)

 

People Sub Index-the sustainable cities index 2018 from Arcadis
People sub-index of the Sustainable Cities Index 2018 (Arcadis)

 

Urban Living Lab Provides Real-Life Test Environment in Sydney

Investigating implications of urban greening on local temperatures and ecology

From Filed Under: Featured, SCIENCE & STUDIES

 

Do you wish to live in a location that has only the best to offer to its residents? While many of us do our part to make the world a much better place, some of us are able to think of great innovative concepts to be able to achieve it. The live example is the Urban Living Lab, a joint initiative of CSIRO and the property developer Celestino. This lab aims to provide a test environment to try out various new urban concepts like greening, water systems, effects of technology etc. on the environment within a real life like setting.

 

 

 
 


This Urban Living Lab is to be established as a part of the Sydney Science Park situated in the heart of the western part of the Australian city. It will allow the scientists, industrialists, government and the communities to collaborate and test ideas that can address the social, economic, environmental, and technological problems of the today’s world. Some of these include the effects of the increased urban greening, smart water systems, and energy efficient systems that are going to be a need of the hour in the near future.

 

Urban Living Lab: Investigating implications of urban greening on local temperatures and ecology

 

Paul Bertsch, Acting Director of CSIRO Land and Water, explains, “There are major issues facing cities in the 21st century. Issues such as population pressure, climate change and resource scarcity are big problems that researchers, industry, and government need to work together to address. The Urban Living Lab provides the perfect environment for the collaboration and innovation that are necessary to build vibrant and sustainable cities.”

 

 

The CEO of Celestino, John Vassallo expressed his excitement to be a part of this $5 billion project set over 280 hectares in West Sydney. It is projected to create at least 12,000 skilled jobs based on knowledge and learning. These will enable catering to over 10,000 students. All the more, the Sydney Science Park will also serve as a residence to over 10,000 people.

 

Urban Living Lab: Smart water systems development for target-oriented and efficient watering

 

Mr. Vassallo said, “We could see people creating new ways to harness solar energy in the workplace and developing novel ideas to store heat and keep homes cool. New sustainable transport solutions will also be encouraged as well as inventions that conserve water and energy and drive down utility bills. The possibilities are endless. He went on to say that, “Just like you test new medical technologies in a lab, you need to test new urban-living technologies in a real urban environment. Sydney Science Park is the perfect testing ground for these inventions of tomorrow.”

The establishment of the Urban Living Lab will not only enable practicing scientific rigor and create and refine products and services in a real-life setting but, at the same time, also help young innovators to easily avail the advice of the scientific experts. More importantly, they will be able to easily come across venture capitalists for their funding requirements.

 

Urban Living Lab in Sydney Science Park by CSIRO - Celestino
Urban Living Lab in Sydney Science Park (Celestino)

 

The Assistant Minister for Science Craig Laundy applauded the initiative saying, “The Urban Living Lab initiative offers a new way for researchers, industry, community and government to co-innovate and provide a place to address a range of challenges facing the urban sector. It’s great to see CSIRO engaging in this public-private collaboration which will not only tackle important issues for our cities but also provide a boost to the local economy with jobs and opportunities for STEM students.”

 

Urban Living Lab: Investigating benefits of digital disruptions and information technology

 

Thus the Urban Living Lab sure looks to be a great design that can help plan our living spaces in a way such that their sustainability can be effectively tried and tested in scenarios such as population increase and climate changes.

 

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