All I Need is the App That I Breath

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20 January 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

The City of London Corporation has launched a new version of its City Air App, giving users access to real-time air pollution data to automatically find the lowest pollution travel routes in London.

The 3-D augmented reality app calculates the concentration of air pollution along three routes between any two points in London. It will now display the lowest, middle and highest routes, and the percentage difference between them, allowing Londoners to avoid pollution hotspots and have more choice when planning their travel routes in the capital.

The map is updated every hour using the latest data from monitoring stations across the London Air Quality Network so users have always got the most accurate and up-to-date air quality information at their fingertips.

Users can specify on the City Air App whether they are a pedestrian, cyclist, jogger, driver, business or an “at-risk individual”. They can sign up for alerts of a high pollution episode giving users advance warning of air pollution events and tips on reducing emissions and exposure to air pollution.

Ruth Calderwood, Air Quality Manager at the City of London Corporation, said: “You can’t see air pollution, but its effects on our health are undeniable. But now this ground-breaking 3D technology will help people see London in a new and different way.

“By putting this technology in the palms of their hands, we are helping Londoners take simple steps to avoid air pollution.”

The app, designed by air quality experts at King's College London, is on the Apple Store now with the Android release coming in early 2017.

Dodging diesel

The City of London Corporation recently banned the purchase of diesel vehicles for its own fleet of 300 vehicles - and it has pioneered a London-wide crackdown on drivers who leave their engines idling, following a series of successful trials in the Square Mile.

Last year the Corporation agreed a deal with Addison Lee - London’s biggest private hire taxi firm - to automatically switch hybrid taxis to ‘electric mode’ in key areas of the City. It has introduced a City-wide 20mph zone, and its new procurement rules have brought in tight restrictions on harmful emissions from bulldozers and generators.

Picture: The City Air App

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 20 January 2017

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