WeCount champions in the highlight: Barcelona and Madrid impact video is out!
In WeCount, our aim is to empower locals to take the lead in producing data, evidence and knowledge on mobility in their own neighbourhoods. Ideas for Change has led the implementation and development of the pilot projects in Barcelona and Madrid, following a participatory citizen science approach to co-create and use traffic counting sensors. We are thrilled to see the involvement of local communities in the project and looking forward to see further impacts!
The Calle Ros de Olano, a small and narrow street in the city of Barcelona, has been experiencing significant issues related to road safety and high traffic volumes over the past two decades. Residents came together to utilize low-cost internet-of-things technologies to collect evidence and trigger positive change. Ideas for Change has led the implementation and development of WeCount in Barcelona and Madrid, following a participatory citizen science approach to co-create and use traffic counting sensors.
Several representatives of the community installed a variety of environmental sensors to collectively gather data-driven evidence of the problematic situation in the street. The community mainly concentrated on collecting and structuring air quality and noise pollution data to create solid proof of the challenges experienced by the residents. However, this information is only a proxy to the effects of the main problem perceived and experienced, highlighting traffic.
The impacts of the Spanish WeCount pilots are now available, giving us precious insight into traffic problems on a neighbourhood level. In Madrid, there are currently 25 working sensors installed as of July 2020. They have been operating for a total amount of time equivalent to 38.13 months. In Barcelona, there are 19 working sensors, which have now been working for 871 days.
Have a look at our brand new video on the WeCount experience and citizen driven impacts in Barcelona and Madrid!