Helsinki

 

1,100,000 inhabitants
surface area: 770 km2


Capital of Finland, flat city with its center located on a peninsula.

Climate: coastal climate with snow in the wintertime and relatively warm summers


 

Which pressures?

Air Quality 

 

Why?

Environmental pressures targeted by SMURBS


 Air Quality: Since Helsinki is located on a peninsula, the traffic density is higher than in several other inland cities of the same size. Wood combustion in fireplaces, hearths, and sauna stoves, as well as dust suspension in spring due to traction sanding, are the main sources of particulate matter.

 

How?

The implementation of smart urban solutions


 Air Quality: An integrated system has been developed to support air quality in the city of Helsinki. The infrastructure to monitor AQ includes two high-cost observation supersites, 15 mid-cost air quality and meteorology sensors (Vaisala AQT420), and high numbers of low-cost air quality sensors. The collected data are applied in assimilating the ENFUSER model, which uses detailed algorithms to estimate the emissions and calculates the transportation of the pollutants, creating a detailed map of the air quality index for the whole metropolitan area. In addition to online monitoring and predicting the traditional air quality parameters, the sensors are applied for estimating the atmospheric concentrations of black carbon, sulphuric acid and aerosol lung deposited surface area, based on the proxies developed at the supersites. Other tools applied in the Helsinki smart city include the application of LES (large eddy simulation) models with a high spatial and temporal resolution to city planning. These models have been used for estimating the AQ impacts of converting major roads going into city boulevards adjacent to residential buildings. These results were used to support city planning, i.e. to estimate the optimum distance of buildings from the streets, the preferred shapes of the buildings, as well as other structures of the street canyon. The LES models were validated with drone measurements next to the street canyon supersite.

 

Who?

Partners involved in the design and implementation of the solutions


Stakeholders involved: 

Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)

INAR (Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research)

Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY)

Helsinki Metropolitan Smart & Clean Foundation

City of Helsinki

Pegasor

Vaisala