Projects

gAIa: Green Area Integrated Aid

An Analysis of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Air Quality

Funding: IFAB call for members

Enabling technology: Artificial Intelligence

Sustainable Development Goals

The gAIa project is an innovative initiative designed to improve air quality in cities through more effective management of urban green spaces. By using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and satellite data analysis, gAIa will develop a sophisticated system to help public authorities design and manage green areas that are more effective at filtering air pollutants. The pilot project, focused on the city of Turin, will help pave the way for healthier and more sustainable cities, generating direct benefits for public health and the urban environment.

Objectives

The gAIa project aims to develop a scalable approach to analysing data on urban green spaces and their management. This will include the creation of a robust Decision Support System designed to support the planning of green areas with specific air-purification capabilities. The system will also focus on integrating and analysing diverse datasets across environmental, healthcare and management domains in order to optimise the contribution of urban green spaces to air quality. Advanced technologies, including AI-based analysis and high-resolution data collection tools, will be used to achieve these objectives effectively and sustainably.

Initial Challenge

The main challenge is the lack of a decision-making tool capable of preventing inefficient management of urban green spaces and their resulting suboptimal impact on air quality and public health.

This includes: inefficient management of green areas; a lack of correlation between healthcare costs and green space management costs; the absence of integrated data and advanced analytical tools; inadequate forecasting and planning of urban green space management policies.

Solution

The proposed solution is the development of an advanced Decision Support System integrating both time-series and point-based environmental, management, weather and healthcare data. The system will use technologies including artificial intelligence, big data analytics, multi-temporal satellite imagery and SLAM laser scanning surveys. These tools will support the optimisation of urban green space design and management, maximising the ecosystem service provided by vegetation in mitigating air pollutants.

Benefits

The project is expected to deliver a wide range of significant benefits. First, it will improve air quality, with a direct positive impact on public health by reducing exposure to pollutants. It will also optimise the use of public resources by making urban green space management more efficient and ensuring that investments generate the greatest possible environmental and social return. By addressing healthcare costs, particularly those associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the initiative could also generate substantial savings for public healthcare systems. The promotion of sustainable urban green space management practices will establish a model for environmentally responsible governance. The project is also expected to stimulate economic growth by supporting innovation and creating new opportunities in urban planning and environmental management. Finally, local authorities will benefit from a reliable tool that supports informed and strategic decision-making.

IFAB’s Role

IFAB participated in the project as a funding organisation, selecting it as part of its investment programmes in research, innovation and technology transfer. IFAB’s contribution consisted of recognising the project’s scientific and practical value and providing financial support, thereby enabling the technical partners to carry out the planned research activities. This involvement further confirms IFAB’s mission as an accelerator of high-impact initiatives for the local area and the wider production ecosystem.