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How to create citizen survey about air quality concerns

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Adam Sabla

·

Aug 22, 2025

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This article will guide you on how to create a citizen survey about air quality concerns. With Specific, you can build a survey like this in seconds—just generate one and start collecting meaningful data fast.

Steps to create a survey for citizens about air quality concerns

If you want to save time, just generate a survey with Specific right now.

  1. Tell what survey you want.

  2. Done.

You honestly don’t need to read further if you’re just looking to get a survey up and running. The AI creates the entire semantic survey for you with expert logic—even asking relevant follow-up questions to collect real insights from your respondents. Explore the AI survey generator for any other survey topics or audiences, and you’ll see how effortless this becomes.

Why it matters to run citizen surveys about air quality concerns

If you’ve ever wondered about the importance of citizen recognition surveys, this is it: engaging people directly is the most powerful way to surface both awareness and real behavioral change. Without these efforts, you risk missing out on:

  • Early warnings about local pollution issues before they escalate

  • Community-led solutions tailored to real resident needs

  • Effective policy input driven by people actually impacted

Let’s look at the data: Citizen science initiatives led to a 30% increase in awareness of pollution sources and health impacts among participants in Europe [3]. That’s not just numbers—it’s proof that simply inviting people to share their concerns can shift mindsets and habits in the community. If you’re not running these, you’re missing out on that collective wisdom, the insights that help governments, researchers, and local leaders make better decisions.

Surveys of this type drive public involvement and spotlight real issues faster. A recent study found that 71% of U.S. respondents took protective actions after getting an air quality alert [4]. Direct engagement mobilizes these kinds of changes at scale. And let’s be real: no policy is effective unless citizens understand it and believe it matters.

What makes a good citizen survey about air quality concerns?

Anyone can throw questions into a survey, but the difference between average surveys and high-value, conversational surveys comes down to:

  • Clarity and neutrality: Questions should be jargon-free and unbiased, so anyone in your community feels understood and included.

  • Conversational tone: A friendly, simple approach encourages honest, open responses.

  • Personal relevance: Tailor topics to local realities, not just generic air quality info.

The only way to tell if a survey is ‘good’ is by looking at your response rates and the depth of those responses. You want both numbers and nuance: lots of citizens weighing in, and thoughtful, context-rich feedback from each.

Bad practices

Good practices

Leading questions, e.g. "Don't you agree air quality is poor?"

Neutral wording, e.g. "How would you rate the air quality in your area?"

Technical jargon, e.g. "Do you track PM2.5 exposure events?"

Simple language, e.g. "How often do you notice smoke, smog, or unpleasant smells outdoors?"

No follow-up, just checkboxes

Follow-ups to clarify "why" answers

Creating surveys this way ensures citizens stay engaged, and that the feedback you collect is genuinely actionable.

Question types and examples for citizen surveys on air quality concerns

Great citizen feedback starts with the right mix of question types:

Open-ended questions are perfect when you want to let citizens speak freely—especially for uncovering unexpected issues, personal observations, or lived experiences. They work best early in the survey or when you’re probing for context.

  • What changes have you noticed in your local air quality over the past year?

  • How does air pollution affect your daily activities?

Single-select multiple-choice questions are your go-to when you want to quantify opinions or preferences. They make data easy to analyze and compare, and keep the survey quick to complete.

Which of the following do you believe is the main source of air pollution in your area?

  • Traffic & vehicles

  • Factories or industry

  • Household activities

  • Don’t know

NPS (Net Promoter Score) question types are a proven way to gauge satisfaction and advocacy—a simple way to segment your supportive and critical citizens. These shine at the end, when you want a summary measure and a final chance to capture "why." You can make a citizen NPS survey about air quality concerns instantly if you’d like a ready-made example.

On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend your city’s efforts to improve air quality to a friend or family member?

Followup questions to uncover "the why": You use these to explore what’s beneath the surface—the “why” behind a score, a complaint, or even a compliment. They help you get clear motivation instead of vague one-word responses. For example:

  • What made you choose that rating?

  • Can you tell us about a specific experience that influenced your view?

If you want more examples or deeper tips, see our guide on the best questions and techniques for citizen air quality concern surveys.

What is a conversational survey about air quality concerns?

Think of a conversational survey as having a real chat with every respondent, instead of just pushing forms and radio buttons. With an AI survey generator like Specific, you set up a truly interactive process: respondents answer in their own words, the AI asks natural follow-ups, and you get much richer context. It isn’t robotic or stiff—it actually feels like an interview with someone who cares about the answers.

Manual surveys

AI-generated surveys

Static forms, little personalization

Adaptive conversation, custom follow-ups

Heavy lift for creators

Instant creation from a simple prompt

Slow, tedious analysis

AI-driven analysis, fast summaries

Why use AI for citizen surveys? In short, creating an AI survey example like the ones Specific produces means less grunt work, higher response rates, and more meaningful data. The AI knows when to ask for more detail or clarification, automatically. And with Specific’s conversational user experience, both creators and respondents find the whole process smooth, mobile-friendly, and even a little fun. If you want more detail on how to create a survey with Specific, check out our step-by-step guide.

The power of follow-up questions

Follow-ups transform a simple checklist into a two-way discussion. They’re crucial for digging into unclear or incomplete answers—and this is where true conversational surveys shine. With Specific, every followup is contextual—the AI probes further based on each answer, in real time, with the kind of logic a smart researcher would bring.

Instead of sending awkward followup emails later, you get the full story upfront. This means:

  • Quicker insight loops

  • Naturally deeper context

  • No need to interpret vague survey data later

Just see what happens without followups:

  • Citizen: "The air here is getting worse."

  • AI follow-up: "In what ways have you noticed the air quality getting worse? (e.g. more coughing, visible smog, etc.)"

How many followups to ask? We typically recommend 2 or 3 at most for each core question, letting the respondent move on if they’ve made their point. Specific allows you to control this precisely, so you never annoy people but always get the right detail.

This makes it a conversational survey: The back-and-forth of follow-ups naturally creates a conversation—not just a form. Respondents feel heard, not just measured.

AI survey analysis is easy: Thanks to Specific's AI-powered analysis, you can instantly chat with your data or let the AI summarize everything, even open-ended responses. Learn more about how to analyze responses from citizen air quality surveys effectively.

Because these automated followup questions are new for most people, I always recommend just trying a survey with AI-powered followups to see the difference.

See this air quality concerns survey example now

Get citizen insights on air quality concerns in seconds, with smart follow-ups and instant, actionable analysis. See for yourself how effortless it can be to collect feedback that really moves the needle—create your own survey and start uncovering what matters most.

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Sources

  1. European Environment Agency. Citizen science on air quality: New possibilities for engaging the public.

  2. Environmental Health. Factors influencing community engagement in air quality monitoring: A scoping review.

  3. South Africa Air Quality Information System. The role of citizen science in tracking local air quality.

  4. Springer. Public perception and behavior in response to air quality information.

Adam Sabla - Image Avatar

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.