Data can open doors to new development

We live in a society increasingly fixated on data. From obsessing over our daily step count on our smart watches, to beadily watching our bills rise on our energy meters, many of the decisions we take every day are informed by live information.

With this comes clear opportunities and potential benefits, both for the built environment sector and for society more widely. On a human level, we are nudged to act in certain ways because we can directly measure the impact that our actions have. This can be especially important when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions or making healthier and more sustainable choices.

On a practical level, real-time access to data fosters efficiency and productivity, allowing us to make in-the-moment decisions and identify potential issues earlier.

There are many ways in which data-led technologies are already being used across the built environment, including for traffic management and flood alerts. Stantec has over two decades of experience using live monitoring to support clients globally – and our breadth of expertise has led us to develop our own in-house platform, ADAhub, which turns real‑time data into practical insight.

Environmental monitoring can be deployed across a range of projects to support better decision-making and more predictable  delivery

Using a network of low‑power, field‑deployed sensors, ADAhub brings information on noise, air quality, vibration, weather and ground movement into a single digital view, updated continuously. This live picture allows teams to spot emerging issues early, respond before thresholds are breached and demonstrate clear compliance through transparent, auditable data.

From construction sites to major events such as the Glastonbury Festival and Silverstone grand prix, ADAhub is an example of how environmental monitoring can be deployed across a range of projects to support better decision-making and more predictable project delivery.

Not only does it help to improve efficiencies within our already constrained sector, but live monitoring also offers the opportunity to improve relationships between the development industry and local communities.

This is especially important as public awareness of development continues to rise. From concerns around mandatory housing targets and the grey belt to data centres dominating the headlines, the built environment is increasingly at the forefront of everyday conversations.

Regrettably, we are also at a time when the public has very little trust in our sector – with polling by Social Value Portal ilast year revealing that just 16% of the UK public has confidence in developers and planning authorities.

One of the reasons for public scepticism is a perceived lack of transparency, and the impact that new development can have on existing communities – be it around traffic, air quality or noise levels. These fears are not imagined and, while many within the industry will pride themselves on high quality schemes and considerate construction programmes, I am sure we all will have felt the knock-on effects that new development can have on the places we call home to some degree.

To win over the public’s hearts and minds, we need more innovative, holistic methods of reducing the impacts of new development on local communities – and “smarter” cities centred around live data and environmental monitoring may be part of the answer.

This will help to manage challenges around air and noise pollution and vibration levels through supporting coordination with communities and councils on appropriate limits, as well as enabling innovative prediction of potential exceedances. Together, this could help to build trust in communities and pave the way for the integration of new, sustainable development.

Aside from managing potential construction disruption, environmental monitoring could also help to encourage behavioural changes

This type of environmental monitoring was integral to the successful delivery of The Octagon, Birmingham’s tallest residential building. Stantec was appointed to measure noise, vibration and dust during construction, and using ADAhub, avoided breaching environmental regulations because of our ability to monitor levels live. This led to minimal disruption to the community and helped to foster positive relationships locally.

Aside from managing potential construction disruption, environmental monitoring could also help to encourage behavioural changes. Despite a positive shift towards green and active travel, the recent backlash against 15-minute cities quite starkly demonstrated our ongoing dependence on cars. One solution could be helping to show more clearly the tangible difference that choosing cycling over driving can have on air quality.

Stantec has first-hand success of doing just this through the work we have done with partners across the country. In Stockport, we supported Fairway Primary School with air quality monitoring to assess pollution in the area and encourage the school community to think carefully about emissions.

The portable sensors provided continuous, real-time measurements through Stantec’s ADAhub platform, and demonstrated a 79% reduction in key pollutants after efforts made by parents and teachers – including parking further away from the school and choosing cycling over driving.

Similarly in Wrexham, air quality and environmental noise sensors were installed throughout the city centre as part of a council-led initiative funded by central government. Real-time data was presented through the ADAhub platform for use by council officers. The council also made the data publicly accessible to help residents choose healthier travel routes and contribute to improved citywide air quality.

Ultimately, opposition often comes from a lack of trust or a gap between identified impacts and the reality – and changing public perception is clearly no easy feat. But smart technology which provides greater transparency through live data could help to improve that and usher in a more accountable industry, building trust and positivity in communities. It could also help our industry to communicate important messages around sustainability and drive forward positive change.

George Williams is associate director, digital products and services, at Stantec