How can citizens generate data on bad smells that drive official action?

D-NOSES (Distributed Network for Odour Sensing Empowerment and Sustainability) was a European project (H2020-Swafs-2016-17-789315) aimed at empowering citizens and involving them in civic actions to combat odour pollution, promoting engagement and fostering participatory strategies at all levels. The initiative applied co-creation processes, scientific research, citizen science, and other tools to engage affected communities and stakeholders in channeling quantitative and open data and in the co-design of local solutions. As a result, the project sought to pave the way for future regulations, with a bottom-up and multi-level governance approach. It also ensured access to information by creating the International Odour Observatory, a participatory online tool. 

The project's main pilot was in the area of Fòrum in Barcelona, an urban seaside zone where the largest wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) in Catalonia is located, alongside a sludge treatment facility, a waste incinerator, and a comprehensive municipal solid waste treatment plant (MSW). These facilities are operating very close to residents, producing an odour impact. 

The quadruple helix approach allowed for the participation of public authorities, odour-emitting industries, academia, and citizens in the co-design of local improvements, aimed at reducing nuisances and enhancing the quality of life for residents.