The Sky over Brussels: Geographies, Knowledges & Politics of Air Pollution

Researching and understanding urban ecological phenomena requires looking concurrently at two dynamic processes: the nexus between the state, science and activism as the place where the urban ecology is constructed as a social phenomenon; as well as the ways in which the urban environment and society interact. Based on these premises, the thesis focuses on "the Sky over Brussels", that is: the case of air pollution in Brussels. In particular, it includes a retrospective analysis, where the geographies, knowledges & politics of air pollution are looked at through an investigation of citizen mobilisations for cleaner air in the last forty years and an examination of the spatial relations between air pollution and geographic accessibility, taken as emblematic features of urban agglomerations. Building on this analysis and on the Citizen Science project "AirCasting Brussels", the thesis proposes a citizen science-based experimental approach to the analysis of geographies, knowledges & politics air pollution. First, Citizen Science is taken as an object of inquiry, with the research investigat- ing its potential to address epistemic and procedural forms of environmental injustice. It is then used as a research methodology to explore when, where and why Brussels citizens are exposed to air pollution, and their room of manoeuvre to reduce exposure. Overall, the thesis argues that knowledge about pollution is a critical resource to empower citizens, but that this alone does not determine the success of citi- zen mobilization for cleaner air. It also demonstrates the essential link between air pollution and urban mobility: a link that goes beyond tailpipe emissions but involves a much broader understanding of living in the city.