Urban Microclimate and Traffic Monitoring with Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

This chapter highlights the role of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Vehicular WSNs (VWSNs) in urban microclimate monitoring and air pollution tracking. Microclimates—driven by topography, vegetation, and urban infrastructure—greatly influence pollutant dispersion emitted by vehicles. To capture the dynamic spatial-temporal variability of air quality, traditional wired monitoring systems present severe limitations regarding high costs, low flexibility, and poor scalability. The text proposes self-configuring, low-cost WSNs and mobile VWSNs as scalable alternatives to continuously gather real-time environmental and traffic data. Integrating these network frameworks into Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) enables effective traffic management, reduces urban congestion, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and provides public authorities with data to protect public health and optimize urban planning.