Dr Zaheer Khan, Professor of Computer Science
As a team here at UWE Bristol, we’re co-creating, co-designing and developing IT tools for public authorities, health providers and citizens.
Right now, I’m leading the Horizon Europe project GREENGAGE to develop citizen observatories in Bristol, Copenhagen, Gerace, Turano and North-Brabant. For this €4.9 million project, with 17 partners involved, we’re reimagining smart data-driven information intelligence for better decision making for the benefit of citizens.
Better data, better decisions, better outcomes
The big idea is that we, as a consortium, introduce a certain set of technology and social science-based tools that enable local authorities to better engage with people and collect data. Because if they can collect more data, better data, richer data, they can make better decisions for those citizens.
For example, we’re using sensors to collect data. Sensors that measure, say, the air quality at street level or the effectiveness of street lighting. We’re looking at everything that affects the environment that people live in. By capturing this data we can provide some kind of index, like an urban living index, which can help public authorities to make more evidence-based decisions and improve the quality of the environment.
On-the-ground, not up-in-the-air
Ultimately, we can use technology and data to get to the ground truth, the real picture. Another example of what I mean by that. Local authorities often run their own surveys to collect data. They also run their own workshops. But the problem with these surveys and workshops is that they’re not diverse or representative. People with the time to get involved, get involved. So, they don’t really tell local authorities what people from every community and walk of life really want or need.
So, the whole idea is we can broaden the tools available – to local authorities and their citizens. We’re giving them new ways to capture the on-the-ground picture and people’s opinions.
Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals
UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:
