Tapping into the crowd, be it for renting something from the shared economy, plugging into a collective intelligence or raising finance for your project, is arguably the key trend of 2013 thus far.

So it’s interesting to see a new project emerging on Kickstarter that is looking to crowdsource the process of monitoring our environment.  The project, called the Smart Citizen Kit, aims to build a global network of sensors that will report back on local environmental conditions.  They’re looking to build up a knowledge base of things such as CO and NO2 levels, or what our light and noise pollution is like.

It’s a Spanish project emerging from the Institute for Advanced Architecture in Catolonia.  Users will be given a piece of hardware to do the monitoring, with the data then visualised and made available online and via a mobile app.  It’s hoped that users will begin to share their data and compare what is in their own neighbourhood with how other regions score.

The project requires $50,000 to get off the ground, and a pledge of $155 will secure you your pre-assembled kit.  If you’re more of a DIY kinda person, you can get an unassembled kit for a pledge of $105.

The Smart Citizen Kit is currently raising funds on Kickstarter, where you can get your hands on a pre-assembled kit for a pledge of $155. DIYers can choose the unassembled kit instead for $105. Check out the video below to learn more about the campaign or visit their live beta site here: