The project is divided into six Work Packages (WP): one devoted to project management (WP1), one to the dissemination and utilization of results (WP6) and four operational WPs (WP2-WP5) devoted to the progressive steps necessary to complete the primary aim of the project. This aim is the establishment of standardised risk maps for human health in four large European urban areas (Rome, Madrid, Athens and Dresden), by linking distribution maps of pollutants as tropospheric ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM) to the main cardiorespiratory diseases observed at the local population level.

The four operational WPs will be coordinated to aim at:
• Constitution of databases. Increased knowledge on the pollutant concentrations and distribution in the chosen urban areas, and their relationship with the mortality and morbidity of local inhabitants. Characterising the role of green areas within the urban texture to act as a sink for pollutants;

• Modelling & Mapping. Improvement of modelling tools for simulating the response of human health (specific mortality and morbidity) to environmental levels of pollutants including adaptation of existent models to local situations of the studied urban areas. Simulation of O3 and PM uptake / deposition dynamics of different plant species, located in public parks and gardens in their specific climatic, edaphic and management conditions present in the neighbouring urban areas. Production of distribution maps of pollutants, environmental variables and Mortality/Morbidity concerning all the four urban areas considered in the project. The linkage between environmental pollutants and mortality/morbidity will be assessed by selection of the more suitable epidemiological models. The selected model will allow to calculate the Odds Ratio for the estimation of sanitary risk;

• Risk Map production and validation. Release of integrated health risk maps, in GIS environment, for each urban area considered in the project. Validation of the resulting risk maps. Evaluation of uncertainties due to potential confounding factors by appropriate statistical methods. New epidemiological and statistical approaches, and new procedures for elucidating the geographic relationship among environmental risks, exposures and occurrence of related cardio-respiratory diseases in the population living in different urban areas;

• Development of a decision-support system. Assessment and ranking of alternative management strategies, with regard to characteristics of local urban areas, aiming at minimizing the sanitary costs. Improved knowledge of the actual and potential role of different plant species growing in the green areas located in the urban texture to mitigate pollutant impacts, through specific management exercises applied to the different green urban areas. Formalization of best practices of urban environmental management, based on the results and the knowledge achieved by project activities;