Vilnius is looking for a street to serve as testbed for air and noise pollution solutions

If the trial is successful, it will be scaled up to larger areas of the city

Vilnius authorities are currently looking for a suitable street, which they would like to turn into a testbed for experiments regarding the reduction of air and noise pollution. The action is part of the LIFE GreenMe5 project in which the Lithuanian capital is participating.

The plan is to select a test street in a few months after analyzing a host of parameters, such as the level of noise, pollution, traffic intensity, how many people live nearby, street infrastructure and city plans for this place.

How will the test street work?

After selecting a street, a noise and air pollution sensor will be installed in it. It will accurately measure air pollution and noise levels at different times of the day and on different days of the week.

Later, various noise and air pollution reduction measures will be implemented - the street will be greened, various traffic restrictions will be introduced, residents who regularly drive on this street will be encouraged to use their cars as little as possible, and so on.

After each change, the sensors will be studied again to observe the progress. Residents will also have the opportunity to follow the sensor measurements online.

Regarding noise pollution one of the solutions that Vilnius has already been trying out is the so-called ‘noise walls’. This includes planting trees along the streets to act as buffers and using noise-insulating materials on the facades of buildings facing the street.

LIFE GreenMe5 aims to make a difference in five areas: reducing air and noise pollution, promoting biodiversity, managing water resources and promoting a circular economy. In addition to Vilnius, the city administrations in Spain, Italy and Sweden are also participating in the project. Each of them has chosen to make some changes in one of the five mentioned areas of activity.