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The design of most cities prioritizes the use of motorized vehicles, having a negative effect on urban health. A major concern in the European Union (EU) is air pollution, especially nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), which causes many inhabitants health problems and decreases the quality of life. A non-expensive way to reduce pollutants is implementing road restriction policies, as the creation of low emission zones. In this work, we analyze the case of Madrid Central a low emission zone deployed in Madrid, Spain. We evaluate if it was effective to reduce air pollutants and if there were a side effect, as pollution displacement, during its application. Drawing on open data, we analyze air quality at different points of the city, before and during the application of this measure. Taking into account the EU directives in terms of what healthy air means, we consider three metrics: a) the trend of NO 2 concentration in the air in both periods, b) the difference between the NO 2 concentration during both periods, and c) the percentage of time in which the population is exposed to air with NO 2 concentration under a specific threshold (healthy air as defined by the EU). According to the results, Madrid Central significantly reduces the NO 2 concentration in the air and does not produce pollution displacement. Thus, the population breathes healthy air during more time, and there is a positive effect on the whole city.

Population concentration in cities brings new risks as an increase in pollution, which causes urban health problems. In order to address this problem, traffic reduction measures are being implemented as pedestrianization areas; they are the definition of Low Emissions Zones (LEZs). When the effectiveness of these types of measures is in doubt, smart city tools provide data that can be used to scientifically asses their impact. This article analyzes the situation of Madrid Central (Spain), a LEZ subject to controversy. We apply statistical and regression analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of this measure to reduce air pollution and outdoor noise. According to the results, this LEZ was able to significantly reduce NO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentration locally, having the same positive impact in the rest of the city. In terms of noise, this measure was able to mitigate background noise levels generated by road traffic.

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As academic literature has shown, there is a preference among older adults to experience old age independently, in their own homes, giving shape to what has been called ageing in place. This phenomenon links residence, life cycle, and the experience of old age. Although it depends on many factors (housing characteristics, the elderly’s economy, or their social support, among others) it is based on place attachment as a key aspect, which comprises two different but interwoven dimensions: the home (private space) and the neighbourhood (social space), understood as an extended sphere of the home. Despite its importance, and beyond the consensus that the time spent in a place increases attachment to it, the processes whereby place attachment is constructed by the elderly and the role of the experience of neighbourhood are little known. This article intended to delve into the meaning of place attachment, its importance, and how it is built by the elderly population in urban areas. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted in Spain, selecting Madrid (the biggest city in the country) as a case study of how place attachment is shaped in an urban setting. To obtain in-depth information, data were collected through ethnographic interviews with 37 people aged 65–95 and 1 focus group among elderly aged 65–71. The most relevant finding of the qualitative analysis is the emotional significance of attachment to the local space as an element that enables continuity—as opposed to the rupture to which we associate old age- in the experience of the life cycle of the elderly. It should be noted that some of the results are conditioned by the specificities of Spanish society, particularly with regard to family ties. Potential extrapolations to other realities should take this point into account.