2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
TRAN5692M Air Quality Policy Design and Evaluation
15 creditsClass Size: 35
Module manager: James Tate (ITS)
Email: j.e.tate@its.leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
Module replaces
Renamed and redefined TRAN5691M:Transport & Urban PollutionThis module is not approved as an Elective
Module summary
To improve citizens health and quality of life, a wide range of policies and interventions are being launched world-wide to improve air quality in our crowded and congested urban centres. In this module, students will learn to design and evaluate air quality policies. Through analysis of complementary traffic flow, vehicle emission, dispersing air-flow, air pollution and health data; students will learn through practical experience about the important interactions and causal processes that govern urban quality, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of policies designed to combat the problem.Objectives
Overall aim:To produce air quality policy makers, equipped with the skills to assess the strengths and weaknesses of interventions, and able to confidently analyse complex datasets to evaluate and track the impact of policies on air pollution levels and health outcomes.
Objectives
The module will provide students with:
- Technical knowledge of traffic, vehicle emission, meteorology and air pollution monitoring tools and their data architectures.
- An appreciation of the how integrated traffic, vehicle emission and air pollution models are used to design and shape air quality policies.
- Theoretical grounding in contribution analysis frameworks, so students can identify and monitor factors that are expected to lead to the intended policy outcomes (improved air quality), and the pathways and risks of unintended (negative) impacts.
- Practical experience of innovative open-source data analysis tools, to equip students with the skills necessary to analyse and interpret complex, complementary datasets of traffic flow, vehicle emission and air pollution levels, whether observations or generated by modelling tools.
- Familiarity of air quality policy and governance, aiming to tackle the social inequalities in the context sustainable development.
- An appreciation of the impacts of poor air quality on health outcomes, through the critique of literature, awareness of health data sources, and experience analysing (spatio-temporal) available (open) health data.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Access and assess the quality of data quality from a variety of traffic, vehicle emission, meteorology and air pollution monitoring systems that have different data architectures and underlying technologies;
2. Digest and critique, findings and outputs from integrated traffic, vehicle emission and air pollution models used to design and shape air quality policies;
3. Using a ‘theory of change’ contribution analysis approach and put in-place appropriate monitoring frameworks;
4. Apply practical experience and skills to confidently use open-source data analysis tools, to extract more understanding and interpretation from complex air quality related datasets, whether from observations or generated by modelling tools;
5. With familiarity UK and global government policies and directives, and appreciation of the wider social inequalities of air quality and further actions that need to be taken;
6. Critically assess studies and corroborate findings with their own analyses of health impacts spatially and temporally.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Understand the architecture of a variety of transport and environment data platforms and interfaces, and access, interrogate data and assess its quality;
2. Critically assess and evaluate the design of air quality policies and plans;
3. Application of ‘theory of change’ contribution analysis approaches;
4. Analyse and interpret complex air quality datasets;
5. Relate and optimise air quality policy designs to current UK government and global policies, directives and wider social justice priorities;
6. Apply their knowledge of the impacts of poor air quality on health to justify implementing air quality policies and measures.
Competence Standards
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following competence standards:
1. Collate information and data from a diverse range of sources, and then analyse and interpret data to reinforce understanding and develop solutions to problems.
2. Critically assess the quality of information and data, whether observed or generated by models, so it can be used effectively and presented objectively to a range of audiences.
3. Apply knowledge to map expected impacts of new policies and problems, to help develop more effective, timely solutions.
4. Apply data science and analytical tools to extract more understanding from complex datasets
Syllabus
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Lecture | 14 | 1.00 | 14.00 |
| Practical | 6 | 1.00 | 6.00 |
| Seminar | 2 | 2.00 | 4.00 |
| Independent online learning hours | 26.00 | ||
| Private study hours | 100.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 24.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150.00 | ||
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Students will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on practical work via discussion and feedback from staff and demonstrators in computer sessions throughout the semester, and on their understanding of core material via in-class quizzes and the two hour tutorial on air quality policy design.Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Assignment | Coursework | 50.00 |
| Assignment | Coursework | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 20/05/2024
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- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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