Grand Rapids Invests in Community Monitoring, Bringing Data Back Online for Residents

The Grand Rapids 49507 Air Quality Project was first launched in 2023 by the Community Collaboration on Climate Change (C4), in partnership with JustAir, made possible through funding from the Environmental Justice Data Fund. From the start, it was built on a solid foundation of community buy-in.

“C4 and several other trusted community partners helped lay the foundation for the 49507 air quality project by ensuring this work was community-led from day one," said Kareem Scales, Interim Executive Director of C4 and CEO of Scales Consulting. "We partnered to center residents in the design, data collection, and decision-making process, not just as participants but as leaders."

C4 and JustAir hosted community workshops to make sure residents understood how to understand air quality, how to sign up for text alerts, and how how to stay safe when outdoor air was poor. After almost two years of monitoring, the project struggled to continue after grant dollars ran out.

But last month, the City of Grand Rapids stepped in to provide the funding needed to keep the network's monitors running and accessible to community members, policymakers and researchers. Air Quality data in 49507 is available again on JustAir's public dashboard, JustAir.app.

What began as a grant-funded community initiative is now a City-supported public resource.

"One of the City's key strategies in our Strategic Plan is to measure and work to improve air quality, particularly in environmental justice communities," said Annabelle Wilkinson, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Grand Rapids. "Partnering with JustAir's community air quality monitoring helps us create baseline measurements while simultaneously providing residents with real-time data."

And the stakes are real. The American Lung Association recently released the 2026 State of the Air Report, which gives  Kent County an 'F' for high ozone days and a 'D' for high particle pollution days. Long-term exposure to poor air quality is linked to serious health outcomes including asthma, COPD, and cancer, conditions that fall disproportionately on communities with less access to the data needed to advocate for change.

JustAir's public dashboard gives residents the tools to see air quality data in real-time and receive customized text or email alerts when pollution levels exceed AQI thresholds. The six City-sponsored devices rejoin a broader network of 17 air quality sensors across Grand Rapids, supported by a research team at Grand Valley State University, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, and Kent County.

"This project is a powerful example of what happens when you invest in community voice, combine it with real-time data, and commit to environmental justice," said Scales. "It has not only elevated awareness around air quality disparities, but also created a model that is now influencing work far beyond Grand Rapids."

This transition from grant funding to municipal investment is not unique to Grand Rapids. It mirrors what happened in Dearborn, MI, making Grand Rapids the second JustAir project within a year to make this shift. Together, these cities are demonstrating a replicable model: community organizations do the hard work of building trust and demonstrating value, and municipalities step in to sustain what residents have come to depend on.

JustAir has appreciated the support of City Commissioner Marshall Kilgore, C4, the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP, Scales Consulting, and the City's Office of Sustainability - as well as the resident subscribers who advocated for the service to continue. Their voices made this possible.

Grand Rapids or area residents may see any device’s data and subscribe to alerts at justair.app (for sign-up help, here are tutorial videos in English and Spanish).