Quieted City Sounds during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Montreal

Abstract

This paper investigates the transformation of urban sound environments during the COVID-19 pandemic in Montreal, Canada. We report on comparisons of sound environments in three sites, before, during, and after the lockdown. The project is conducted in collaboration with the Montreal festival district (Quartier des Spectacles) as part of the Sounds in the City partnership. The analyses rely on continuous acoustic monitoring of three sites. The comparisons are presented in terms of (1) energetic acoustic indicators over different periods of time (Lden, Ld, Le, Ln), (2) statistical acoustic indicators (L10, L90), and (3) hourly, daily, and weekly profiles of sound levels throughout the day. Preliminary analyses reveal sound level reductions on the order of 6–7 dB(A) during lockdown, with differences more or less marked across sites and times of the day. After lockdown, sound levels gradually increased following an incremental relaxation of confinement. Within four weeks, sound levels measurements nearly reached the pre-COVID-19 levels despite a reduced number of pedestrian activities. Long-term measurements suggest a ‘new normal’ that is not quite as loud without festival activities, but that is also not characterizable as quiet. The study supports reframing debates about noise control and noise management of festival areas to also consider the sounds of such areas when festival sounds are not present.

Associations between Personal Attitudes towards COVID-19 and Public Space Soundscape Assessment: An Example from Antwerp, Belgium

“…In particular, among all the environmental variations observed since the onset and development of the pandemic, sudden changes in noise levels (especially in urban contexts) were reported from different sources around the world (see for instance: [6][7][8][9][10][11]). In the environmental acoustics and soundscape research communities, this led to a growing interest to characterize changes in the sound environment of cities, both objectively (i.e., via acoustic measurements) and perceptually (i.e., via socio-acoustic surveys or alike) [12].…”

Multidimensional analyses of the noise impacts of COVID-19 lockdown

“…First, cities equipped with noise measurement networks, capturing continuous noise levels, have been quick to consistently point out the drop in the noise levels. An equivalent sound level reduction of about 4–7 dB(A) has been reported, on average, in Rio ( Gevú et al , 2021 ), Montreal ( Steele and Guastavino, 2021 ), Lyon ( Munoz et al , 2020 ), Madrid ( Asensio et al , 2020b ), Milan ( Zambon et al , 2021 ), Girona ( Alsina-Pagès et al , 2021 ), or Paris ( Bruitparif, 2020 ) based on 21 to more than 100 fixed sensors. Numerous short-term measurements were performed in London in Aletta et al (2020) through a series a 30-s binaural recordings pre-lockdown and during the lockdown (481 samples) at 11 locations, which highlighted a similar tendency.…”

“…The observed noise decrease has even reached 20 dB(A) near the work site areas and 30 dB(A) near the airports in Paris ( Bruitparif, 2020 ), revealing the difference in the “lockdown sound experience” between populations. In Montreal, special emphasis is being placed on dramatically reducing noise at festivals and events in public spaces during the summer of 2020 ( Steele and Guastavino, 2021 ). In the temporal structures of sound, environments were also impacted.…”

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown in Milan urban and Rome suburban acoustic environments: Anomalous noise events and intermittency ratio

“…The analysis revealed noise reductions of 6–7 dBA during the lockdown stage. These levels were gradually recovered as restrictions were relaxed after the severe closure of the city ( Steele and Guastavino, 2021 ). In the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina), the analysis was conducted on big roads with heavy traffic ( Said et al , 2020 ), showing a clear decrease in noise levels mainly at night.…”