Imagine being part of a vibrant community acting together on environmental issues at the neighbourhood, town, or city level. That’s exactly what Citizen Observatories (COs) are all about! COs are community-based environmental monitoring initiatives that bring people together to collect data and insights that can make a real difference right where they live by informing policy or citizen-led actions to address issues like air pollution, noise, and urban heat. COs acting at the local level are also contributing to broader national and global environmental efforts.

CitiObs (Enhancing Citizen Observatories for healthy, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities) is a Horizon Europe project. It was launched on the 1st of January 2023 and will run for four years. CitiObs will support Citizen Observatories (COs) in distinct cities to create, enhance or scale up inclusive and diverse COs. The goal is to encourage citizens to take an active role in the observation of their urban environment using low-cost sensor technologies and wearables to monitor air quality and related environmental measures

CitiObs (Enhancing Citizen Observatories for healthy, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities) is a Horizon Europe project. It was launched on the 1st of January 2023 and will run for four years. CitiObs will support Citizen Observatories (COs) in distinct cities to create, enhance or scale up inclusive and diverse COs. The goal is to encourage citizens to take an active role in the observation of their urban environment using low-cost sensor technologies and wearables to monitor air quality and related environmental measures.

We’re excited to announce an Open Call for Citizen Science Initiatives & Citizen Observatories across Europe to join CitiObs as Alliance Cases. This is a fantastic opportunity for existing COs and citizen-led initiatives to collaborate with us, scale up their activities, and share best practices.

There is power in coming together, sharing knowledge, and working collaboratively towards a common goal. As we move forward, we are inspired and motivated by the possibilities that lie ahead.

In this post our consortium partners Milena Calvo Juarez and Oscar Gozalez , Fab Lab Barcelona delve into the dynamic knowledge exchange that unfolded during the first collaborative workshop in the context of the Barcelona Frontrunner case.

In this post, our consortium partners Kelsey Wentling and Uta Wehn, IHE Delft, elaborate on the intricacies of stakeholder participation dynamics in citizen observatories, recognizing the pivotal role such dynamics play in determining the success and sustainability of citizen observatories. 

Our consortium partner Karin Ekman engages with residents of Fiskåtangen, Kristiansand, in a Mutual Learning Workshop to explore the achievements, obstacles, and lessons of their initiative monitoring emissions from the nearby industry.