Hollandse Luchten is a citizen science project in North Holland, the Netherlands, that uses sensor technology to let residents measure and discuss the quality of their living environment. Launched as a pilot in 2018, it has grown into a network of local measurement groups, initially in IJmond and Zaanstad, and later expanding to Blaricum, Eemnes, Laren, Gooise Meren, Haarlem and Hilversum.
The project is run by Waag Futurelab, an Amsterdam-based organisation active in open technology and public research. Hollandse Luchten’s approach is practical: residents form local groups, define their own measurement questions and collect data on air quality using open-source sensors. The project began with air pollution, but its broader aim is to make environmental conditions easier to understand and discuss for people living near roads, industrial sites or other sources of concern.
A key part of the methodology is that data is not only collected, but also interpreted collectively. Residents, data analysts, health experts, municipalities and other stakeholders meet to examine the results and translate them into possible actions. The project also makes the sensor data publicly available and displays it on an online map, which supports transparency and allows participants to follow changes over time.
Up to now, Hollandse Luchten has shown how citizen sensing can create a shared evidence base around local air quality. It has also been used to explore concrete local issues such as emissions near Tata Steel, wood smoke and traffic-related pollution. Waag has supported both the technical infrastructure and the social organisation of the network since the start.