Ten questions on the soundscapes of the built environment

Abstract

Article available under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) eprints@whiterose.ac.uk https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Abstract: Soundscape research represents a paradigm shift from noise control policies towards a new multidisciplinary approach as it involves not only physical measurements but also the cooperation of humanity and social sciences to account for the diversity of soundscapes across countries and cultures, with more focus on how people actually experience the acoustic environments; and it considers environmental sounds as a 'resource' rather than a 'waste'. The ten questions presented in this paper range from the very basic definitions underlying the emerging soundscape 'science', to more applied topics about how to use soundscape as a design approach for the planning and management of the built environments. Although significant research activity has been conducted so far, there is still a need to systematically provide the underpinning science and practical guidance in soundscaping. Thus, the last question aims to identify the most crucial gaps in soundscape research and set the agenda for future advancements in the field.

Analysis of Field Data to Describe the Effect of Context (Acoustic and Non-Acoustic Factors) on Urban Soundscapes

“…To explain the soundscape, it is necessary to focus on both the acoustic and non-acoustic variables of the place (context, as defined in the ISO standard), integrating objective (acoustic and non-acoustic) and subjective variables [1,3,4,13,22]. The proof of this complexity is the fact that the congruence between the soundscape and the landscape as perceived by the user of the place is the best predictor of soundscape pleasantness.…”

“…It is the most frequently used method for data collection and to explore areas where local experts open a data field for triangulation, allowing the identification of a soundscape and its components. The protocols can vary in several aspects, including the way acoustic measurements are taken, how participants are asked, the sampling of participants, sample size, soundwalk duration, education level and the collection of visual information [4].…”

“…The key principles of soundscape [1][2][3][4][5] have been developed within the ISO 12913 standard, with regard to its definition and conceptual framework [1], as well as data collection [6]. According to this standard, soundscape is "the acoustic environment as perceived or experienced and/or understood by a person or people in context".…”

Citizens as smart, active sensors for a quiet and just city. The case of the “open source soundscapes” approach to identify, assess and plan “everyday quiet areas” in cities

“…According to the ISO norm, a soundscape can be defined as the "acoustic environment as perceived, experienced, and/or understood by people, in context" [21]. Consequently, soundscape approach can be said to be grounded on three main assumptions: 1) the soundscape can be understood as a "pool of resources" [28] instead of being reduced to merely noise; 2) soundscape analyses and evaluation processes are placed in context [29]; 3) people's preferences as well as their perceptual and physical evaluations are combined towards a holistic study of the (sonic) environment [30].…”

La Influencia Del Paisaje Sonoro en La Calidad Del Entorno Urbano; Un Enfoque Hacia La Experiencia Sonora De La Ciudad Latinoamericana

“…Aporte teórico de finales del siglo pasado que puso en relevancia los riesgos que podría representar la gran cloaca sonora del futuro, entendida como aquel entorno acústico configurado por objetos sonoros de escaso valor cultural para los oyentes (Schaeffer et al, 1967;Schafer, 1993;Truax, 2000). Actualmente el enfoque emergente del paisaje sonoro que prioriza aspectos del medio sonoro como la relación con el contexto, las emociones y la escucha humana, más allá de la ambigua noción que del ruido se tiene, ha sido tratado ampliamente en diversas investigaciones (Bruce y Davies, 2014;Davies et al 2013;Hong y Jeon, 2017;Kang et al, 2016;Rehan, 2016).…”