CHICAGO - In partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has initiated the development of the Chicago Air Sensor Network as a public infrastructure investment to increase the concentration of air sensors throughout the city. The network, once fully operational, will supplement the air monitoring data currently available and provide air pollutant estimates at the hyperlocal level for Chicago communities and residents to better understand the environmental conditions in their neighborhoods.

In support of the launch, CDPH will hold a press presentation in conjunction with the Back-to-School Health Fair at Dvorak Park Fieldhouse (1119 W. Cullerton St.) on Saturday, August 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. An air sensor installation ceremony will be held promptly at 11:30 a.m., located one block southeast of Dvorak Park, near 1015 W. Cermak Road (geocode: 41°51'09.0"N 87°39'07.0"W). The event will cover the current progress of the installation of air sensors, the overall value provided to Chicago residents, and the future of the project.

Local air quality data is currently available on AirNow.gov , which includes data from eight federal-grade monitoring systems located in the City of Chicago that are run by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with Cook County. The data from these state-run monitors is used for regulatory and enforcement purposes. The Chicago Air Sensor Network will supplement the air monitoring data that currently exists and will provide neighborhood-level air quality data to the public. Once fully deployed, Chicago is set to have the largest community air monitoring network in the world with nearly 280 sensors. Using a grid-network design informed by USEPA Clean Air Act Network Design Criteria for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring, the Chicago Environmental Justice (EJ) Index, and community input, CDPH is working with partners to place solar-powered Clarity sensors that measure levels of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) focusing in areas with higher Chicago EJ Index scores. Full installation is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2025 with the support of partners at the Chicago Department of Transportation, who are installing the sensors citywide.

“Installing air sensors across our city is imperative in assessing what risks there are and protecting our community members, especially those who are most vulnerable, such as children, older folks, and people with respiratory illnesses,” said CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, MD, MS, MPH. “CDPH continues to gather the best available data for all Chicagoans to guide the development of interventions to improve the health of Chicagoans.”

Deployment will be followed by a quality assurance and control process prior to the release of a publicly available dashboard, expected in early 2026. In anticipation of the dashboard’s launch, the Chicago Air Sensor Network Advisory Board comprised of community partners will provide training and education to Chicagoans on how to best use information from these community air sensors to guide their actions when air quality is sub-optimal in their community areas. The Chicago Air Sensor Network Advisory Board members include Alliance for the Southeast (ASE); Chicago Environmental Justice Network (CEJN); Communities United; Grow Greater Englewood; Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO); Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ); ONE Northside; Openlands; People for Community Recovery (PCR); Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO); Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF); The Southwest Collective; and the Westside Cultural Alliance.

To read more about CDPH's environmental work, visit: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/environmental_health.html

CDPH Public Information Office: media.cdph@cityofchicago.org

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