Use of GIS as an Air Quality Screening Tool for Planners and Policy Makers – Partnerships between Local Government and Academia
Traffic related air quality modelling is conventionally carried out by experts in numerical modelling. This causes such modelling to be expensive and generally remote from planners and policy makers. The work presented in this paper results from a partnership between policy makers and an academic institution. The aim of the work has been to develop a screening model for air quality assessments, which would not require specific expertise in numerical modelling and hence would target a much wider user audience. The screening model could be used in air quality assessments to identify potential pollution "hot spots". Only these identified hot spots would then be analysed in detail using conventional numerical codes, considerably reducing the modelling requirements and costs for local government.
The screening model developed was encompassed within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This technology is conventionally linked to the numerical dispersion models to interpret and visualise the results. In this paper the screening model applies the results of a detailed parametric study to map features within the GIS. This technique makes input a less arduous task with short run times than conventional dispersion models. Additional facilities incorporated in the application include feedback loops in the decision making process. This allows for the development of impact scenarios or forward predictions such as changes in traffic flow or climate change. The results from this research are compared with conventional numerical dispersion results and show good agreement. The methodology is easily portable to different regions and the application is user-friendly.