AIRWISE (Air quality improvement and resilience through urban morphology and environment) examined relationships between urban form, traffic, air quality and heat at street level. The project produced evidence that can inform future urban planning and design.

AIRWISE brings together spatial and environmental data to examine how urban form, traffic and movement patterns shape local environmental conditions. Rather than relying only on broad city-wide averages, AIRWISE works at a finer spatial scale. It combines:

GIS-based analysis of urban morphology
environmental monitoring
satellite-derived land surface temperature
traffic information
observations of street conditions

This allowed the team to compare building form, street configuration, traffic and environmental conditions between locations. The team also surveyed 50 traffic enforcers about working conditions and proximity to vehicles, informing questions for future occupational-exposure research.

Metro Manila is the principal research context. Its high density, rapid urbanisation, complex transport patterns and contrasting urban environments provide a valuable setting for investigating relationships between urban form, air pollution and heat. Across selected study areas, field measurements and spatial datasets are used to compare environmental conditions with characteristics of the built environment. AIRWISE also draws on UK data and fieldwork to test aspects of the methodology in a different urban context and strengthen comparative understanding.

AIRWISE digital platform

A key outcome of the research is the AIRWISE digital platform. It combines spatial, environmental and urban data within an accessible visual interface. It allows users to explore how conditions vary across the city and how these patterns relate to urban form, movement and land use. By integrating datasets in one place, the platform moves beyond the presentation of individual technical outputs. It provides a clearer basis for interpreting location-specific environmental conditions. This helps users explore local patterns and consider questions for further monitoring, planning and research.

Access the AIRWISE platform

Collaboration

AIRWISE also worked with local authorities, urban and environmental practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders to assess the relevance of the research and the usability of its outputs. Stakeholder engagement was used to test how the evidence and platform can support decision-making and how the approach may be applied beyond the immediate research context.

AIRWISE moves beyond monitoring air quality and heat as isolated environmental issues. Its wider contribution lies in making the relationships between urban form and environmental performance more visible, interpretable and actionable.

Through collaboration between UK and Philippine partners, AIRWISE strengthens expertise in spatial analysis, environmental monitoring and evidence-led urban planning. Longer-term, it will support more integrated approaches in which air quality, urban heat and climate resilience are considered directly within decisions about how we plan, design and transform cities.

Phase 1: building the urban evidence base

We compiled and aligned spatial, environmental, and traffic information for selected urban locations. This included:

GIS-based urban morphology
building height and land-use information
air-quality and temperature data
traffic observations

All were supported by field monitoring and available secondary datasets.

Phase 2: Integrating and visualising the evidence

We analysed relationships between urban configuration and environmental conditions and integrated the resulting evidence within the AIRWISE digital platform. The platform translates multiple datasets into spatial visualisations that can be explored together rather than as isolated technical outputs.

Phase 3: testing relevance and supporting uptake

We engaged researchers, local authorities, practitioners and other stakeholders to review findings, test the usability and relevance of the platform, and identify pathways for future application in planning, policy and urban environmental decision-making.