The impact of green space.

We are measuring environmental parameters (air pollutant, noise, and vegetation metrics) before, during, and after the planting. This data is used to assess the impact of vegetation on air quality and noise, and to correlate changes in the health measurements taken as part of the HEAL Study.

We have installed 60 “passive” air samplers on utility poles throughout the neighborhoods, including near the interstate. Every two months, we collect one-week samples. The samples are then analyzed in a laboratory to calculate airborne concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and ozone.

Real-time monitors placed on a vehicle measure air quality along predetermined driving routes through the neighborhoods. This information is combined with the fixed-site data from the passive samplers to generate high-resolution maps for air quality.

A smaller number of noise monitors are rotated across 60 sites in the neighborhoods to map noise levels. Satellite data and lidar (light detection and ranging) remote sensing are used to characterize the vegetation density before and after planting.