Citizen science projects are often criticised for their limited impact on policy. Lack of trust in data is a known issue but not the only reason why this happens. Another important factor is a mismatch between citizen science activities and local policy objectives. This usually happens when grassroot initiatives conduct their activities in an isolated fashion without due regard to the wider policy context. Projects that focus too little or not at all on policy needs risk undermining the relevance of their findings to policy makers, which in turn can limit opportunities for exploitation and scaling-up. Strengthening the science-policy interface by nesting citizen science activities in the urban policy landscape can help to mitigate these risks.

Case studies

Berlin

In Berlin's Kreuzberg district a major redevelopment is underway: private parking spaces are being gradually eliminated from public streets. Abolished private car parks are repurposed for other needs, such as shared mobility stations for cars, e-scooters, bicycles, and cargo bikes (Jelbi points). More space will be allocated to disabled parking and delivery service. And some streets (Hohenstaufenplatz) will be closed altogether to eliminate through traffic. All these changes are taking place as part of Projekt Graefekiez whose purpose is to make the area more citizen-friendly by increasing road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and pupils. At the start of the Berlin pilot, the research team from COMPAIR (inter3) reached out to the District Office of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, the authority responsible for managing Project Graefekiez, to find out if it needs any help with impact evaluation. The answer was yes and that's how COMPAIR's static campaign in Berlin came into being.

Recruiting citizen scientists for Project Graefekiez

Herzele 

The city of Herzele in Flanders, Belgium, decided to create a safer school environment for children. To this end, the local authority turned the road Burgemeester Matthysstraat into a school-street. This meant that the street adjacent to the school Sint-Paulus was closed to motorised traffic twice-daily in the morning (8:15-8:45) and afternoon (15:20-15:50) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, the street was closed from 8:15 to 8:45 in the morning, and from 12:00 to 12:30 in the afternoon. By reducing the amount of cars in the area, the measure was expected to not only improve safety but also reduce air pollution from traffic.

However, the municipality was concerned that improvements in Burgemeester Matthysstraat will come at the expense of more traffic and pollution in nearby streets. To help the city assess whether this displacement effect really happened, COMPAIR partners from Flanders (Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij, Digitaal Vlaanderen, Telraam) approached the local authority and offered a cost-effective impact evaluation through citizen science. The proposal was accepted and that’s how the Herzele school-street pilot was born. In total, 17 citizens, 3 schools and the municipality took part in the campaign, in which both air quality (Nitrosense, bcMeter & Sensor.Community) and traffic sensors (Telraam) were used.

Herzele school-street volunteers

In conclusion, it's trite but true that, if policy impact is the goal or one of the goals, citizen science projects should work with public authorities to make their results policy-relevant. The road to policy impact starts with a simple question: how can our results be useful to policy makers? The strength of citizen science lies in its ability to provide a cost-effective solution for monitoring policy-induced changes in an urban environment (air quality, traffic). Citizen science practitioners should use this value proposition to find out from public authorities which measures they can support: a school street? A new mobility plan? An ongoing redevelopment project? A strong science-policy interface is key to ensuring more than just policy impact; there is a strong potential for social impact, too. Citizens are more likely to participate if they know that the data they collect matters and will be used to inform urban policies. Also, they are more likely to change their lifestyles if they know that their contribution will make a difference on a bigger scale.

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