Research, evaluation of noise and air pollution testing solutions and the creation of a vehicle pollution repository are among the key project objectives pursued by LENS. However, the true success of the whole endeavour depends on the effective dissemination of project results to cities, users and stakeholders. Without proper communication, these results may be perceived as useless or irrelevant. To address this concern, LENS has developed a robust system to actively involve cities and stakeholders, fostering exchange, critical feedback and direct access to project results.
The external entities involved in this process are divided into two groups: the ‘Stakeholder Group’ and the ‘City Platform’. While the stakeholder group has been described in detail in a separate news item, the following paragraph focuses on the plans for the city platform.
Introducing the City Platform
As the name suggests, the City Platform will serve as a dedicated forum for ten cities. Participants in this platform will have the unique opportunity to visit test sites in at least two different cities and to participate in online workshops and meetings with the consortium. The main objective is to encourage cities to provide feedback on the tools being developed by LENS, thereby increasing the overall usefulness of LENS results for city administrations across Europe.
The organisation of the City Platform will be led by the POLIS network, supported by the project coordinator EMISIA and IVL. The inaugural meeting, scheduled for autumn 2023, will be hosted online by POLIS and will serve as a first opportunity for LENS stakeholders and city representatives to get to know each other. During this meeting, the project roadmap will be presented and the involvement of the cities will be explained. In addition, the consortium will answer any questions about the upcoming plans.
Physical Meetings and Locations
Looking ahead, plans include organising the first physical meeting in the spring of 2024, when weather and daylight conditions are conducive to site visits, possible live testing and police enforcement on the streets of a designated city in Italy, France or Belgium. While the LENS consortium is in discussions with several cities, the final locations for the physical meetings will be announced shortly. This will be followed by a second site visit in autumn 2024 or spring 2025. In addition to the members of the stakeholder group, all city platform partners will be invited to the final LENS conference, scheduled for early summer 2025.
Beyond Physical Gatherings: Workshops and Exchanges
Beyond the physical meetings, LENS plans to organise workshops and exchanges between the city platform partners to promote mutual learning and critical feedback. LENS partners will regularly update cities on the progress of the project. In addition to these activities, an internal, closed LinkedIn group exclusively for members of the City Platform will be set up to facilitate the exchange of information and updates, moderated by POLIS Network.