The City of Boston has launched a new air quality widget to make air quality information more accessible. Boston has done this in collaboration with Soofa, a supplier of solar-powered digital kiosks used as smart city communications tools and out-of-home (OOH) advertising platforms.

Located on Soofa kiosks, the widget displays real-time air quality information, including the current Air Quality Index (AQI), as well as the forecast for days ahead.

The City of Boston is working to improve air quality in Boston in different ways. The City is aiming to tackle the climate crisis in Boston while addressing economic, social, and racial inequities.

Common sources of air pollution in Boston include furnaces, boilers, and gas stoves, cars and trucks, industrial facilities, and forest fires. With the recent decline in air quality due to Canadian wildfires, it is even more evident the need for public awareness of air pollution, what causes it, and how Boston residents can protect themselves.

In 2021, the Air Pollution Control Commission piloted the Community Clean Air Grants. This pilot grant programme funded community-driven projects that reduce air pollution and carbon emissions at a local level.

Boston’s Mayor Wu has committed to an electrified school bus fleet by 2030.

Boston Public Schools have installed Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) sensors in all classrooms that report real-time air quality information. The City’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) targets emissions at their biggest source: Boston’s large buildings. The goal is to reduce emissions gradually to net zero by 2050. The Renew Boston Trust is the City’s initiative that conducts energy audits and invests conservation upgrades for municipal buildings.