L.A.’s buildings loom large in determining street-level air quality | Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

May 05, 2016

The view down Broadway from 8th Street in downtown L.A. The worst environments for air quality, the researchers found, were “street canyons,” densely packed with tall buildings and very little open space. Photo by Derek Lau / UCLA.

A recent study co-authored by Suzanne Paulson (Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences) finds that buildings and open spaces make a big difference in air quality on the ground. The study, which was conducted at five different sites in the L.A. area, also provides recommendations for how to best leverage the built environment to contribute to improved air quality in Los Angeles.