Warm, warmer, hot! How to cool down our city and reduce the level of air pollution?

Warm, warmer, hot! How to cool down our city and reduce the level of air pollution?

Challenge No 1

On December 16th, the project team organized an interesting event – a videoconference, meeting the needs of the local project entitled “Warm, warmer, hot! How to cool our city and reduce air pollution?” The meeting was honored by the presence of professor Joanna Wibig – Head of the Department of Meteorology and Climatology of the Faculty of Geographical Sciences of the University of Lodz and Mr. Piotr Miedzianowski – Inspector of the Department of Environmental Protection, Agriculture and Forestry in the County Office in Łowicz, who gave valuable lectures, giving a strong theoretical base for the next project activities. The meeting was chaired by project team coordinators – 2nd grade students. The videoconference was also attended by: the Headmaster of Secondary School No. 2, the supervisors of the PULCHRA project, members of Science Teams, as well as parents of students and interested representatives of the local community of Łowicz.

There were two lectures during the meeting. The first one, carried out by Professor Joanna Wibig, and it concerned climate change and air pollution. The second was led by Mr. Piotr Miedzianowski, who presented the issues related to air pollution and the methods of its protection in the Łódź Voivodeship and in Łowicz. During the videoconference, a competition for students of our school was announced: Is it possible to take a deep breath in my city? The students’ task will be to take a photo which is a positive or negative answer to the question asked in the contest and to attach a short justification.

During the meeting, the first temperature measurements made by students in Łowicz and close to its borders were presented. As a project team, we are analysing together how to reduce the level of air pollution, which is currently quite high.

In March, the project team had a metting with the representative of the City Council in Łowicz,
Mr. Lech Aniszewski. The meeting discussed the current situation in Łowicz – air quality and the problem of the lack of greenery in various parts of our city.
In the same month, a photo competition entitled “Can I take a deep breath in my city?” was announces.The results of it were published in June. The entire school community had the opportunity to present their photos, answering the competition question.
At the turn of May and June, workshops for the project team from Secondary School No. 2
in Łowicz, entitled “Green Infrastructure” were organized. Professional classes were conducted by employees of the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography of the Warsaw University of Technology:
PhD. Katarzyna Rędzińska, MA Marianna Ulanicka-Raczyńska, M.Sc. Monika Piotrkowska, eng. Alicja Wiertel and the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Department of Landscape Architecture) of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences: PhD Agata Cieszewska and PhD Piotr Wałdykowski. The workshops were conducted remotely.
Students worked in the Mural application, where they posted solutions to specific problems included in the design challenge: “Warm, warmer, hot. How to cool down our city and reduce air pollution? ” For the participants, the classes were very interesting because they were based on the development of the areas they live in and where they often visit.
The first workshop, which took place on May 26, was about green infrastructure – its elements and functions. Students analysed the environmental problems of Łowicz and what can be changed in our city. They learned how to form vegetation in the city, how to manage rainwater, what surfaces to use to make them environmentally friendly. The second workshop, which was carried out on June 2, concerned the introduction of new green areas based on the Local Spatial Development Plan of the City of Łowicz and the analysis of thematic maps specially prepared for Łowicz.
During the third workshop (June 11th), students designed new green areas: functional and spatial layouts of the planned parks and green areas.
In June, the inhabitants of Łowicz had the opportunity to share their opinions on places where, in their opinion, there is a lack of greenery. They could do it on a geoportal specially created for our city, https://zielonylowicz.gridw.pl/. At the end of June, as a part of the summary of this year’s project activities, students presented the effects of their work to the local authorities, including those areas which, in their opinion, should be changed in Łowicz.

Project Outcomes