Developments in urban environmental information perception and communication

Urban environmental information (EI) is related to knowledge concerning the status, the pressures and the consequences of environmental quality parameters to human life and the urban surroundings. One of the most important aspects in the life cycle of EI is knowledge generation and flow, data management and information dissemination between ICT systems and environmental actors, players, or interested parties. In the present paper, urban air quality serves as the application domain, for which the following issues are discussed, • Analysis of the way that environmental information is related to urban structures (roads, buildings, etc) • Investigation of the spatial and temporal urban dimensions of the perception and interpretation of environmental pressures from the citizens’ point of view. • Suggested presentation and communicating methods of environmental information to optimise its use and effectiveness towards quality of life The discussion is initiated from the concept of Ontologies, and provides a perspective on urban environmental information perception and communication for air pollution. The insights reported may be used as a basis for the design of information/management systems.