Salut i Barris (Health and Neighbourhoods)
Social and Urban Innovation

The project “Salut i Barris: towards environmental equality in the neighbourhoods of Valencia via fairer mobility” is financed by Valencia City Council via its Social and Urban Innovation initiative, and is promoted by Mesura. It aims at developing resources to reduce health inequalities between the various neighbourhoods of Valencia, with specific regard to environmental quality. It is hoped these resources will inform decision-making and further empower citizens with respect to environmental issues.

Fent Estudi participated in the project by coordinating citizen participation initiatives, mapping the current situation and producing the final report. Particularly of note is the What is Pérez Galdós breathing? campaign, carried out in conjunction with the “Fuera Túnel Pérez Galdós” association and Miguel Cerezo, which aims to raise the general public’s awareness of the poor urban management of this highly-trafficked avenue of the city.

Poor air quality causes 790,000 premature deaths in Europe, according to recent studies. The WHO and numerous scientific studies point to the direct link between poor air quality and an increased incidence of disease.

1. Levels of NO₂ in the Avenida Pérez Galdós are twice the 40µg/m³ guideline value set by the WHO.
2. Narrow pavements on either side of the avenue further contribute to the public’s exposure to noxious vehicle fumes.
3. Moreover, Avenida Pérez Galdós contains relatively few trees, representing a further missed opportunity for improving the environmental air quality. Urban thoroughfares that are well planted with trees can test up to 12 times lower for dust particles than those without.
4. Around 75% of the avenue’s useable public space is dedicated to cars.