The Relationship between Sound and Amenities of Transit-Oriented Developments

Abstract

Experts in diverse fields have investigated sound in cities throughout the United States. This research aims to examine sound levels and determine its contributors at the transit-oriented development (TOD) station and neighborhood levels by studying selected Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations. A multilevel analysis was performed to model the likelihood of TOD stations and neighborhoods affecting sound levels, controlling for station amenities, socio-demographics and built environment characteristics. Sound measurements were sampled in three time intervals with 15 min sampling over weekdays and weekends at TOD and non-TOD stations by a type II SPL meter that was mounted on a small camera tripod at a height of 1.5 m, at a distance of 1.5 m from rails and curbs. The research team found that amenities, built environmental characteristics, and neighborhood features have significant implications on sound levels at both the TOD station and the neighborhood level, which affects quality of life (QoL). TOD stations that include more amenities have a greater level of significance on sound levels. Additionally, neighborhoods with a pervasive street grid configuration, public facilities, and built environment densities are significantly associated with a likelihood of high sound levels. Conversely, higher population densities and intersection densities decrease the likelihood of a high sound level environment. These patterns provide an arena for transportation, urban, and environmental planning and policymaking to generate transformative solutions and policies.

Opinion of Residents about the Freight Transport and Its Influence on the Quality of Life: An Analysis for Brasília (Brazil)

“…Previous research shows the importance of UFT to meet the population's needs [9,26]. This paper analyzes how UFT externalities influence residents' quality of life.…”

“…This paper analyzes how UFT externalities influence residents' quality of life. Urban planning seeks to improve cities' quality of life [34,36]; however, UFT externalities impact the quality of life [26]. An inverse relationship may be observed between UFT externalities and the quality of life.…”

“…The application of information technologies and proper urban planning enables the efficient use of the urban infrastructure [26,27]. Furthermore, the use of intelligent transport systems (ITS) and information and communication technologies (ICT) contribute to the better use of urban infrastructure [28].…”

“…UFT negatively influences residents' quality of life, and the quality of life can be interpreted from several different perspectives, such as health [1,33], social [21,34], or economic [9,15] aspects. Improving the quality of life requires improvements in liveability, mobility, accessibility, and community [26].…”

Optimization of underground open intermediary space comfort in TOD complexes: A case study of Chongqing, China

“…The New Urban Agenda states that expanding underground space and developing TOD complexes can alleviate regional traffic congestion, maintain a balanced ratio of workers to residents, and ensure the flexibility, inclusiveness, and sustainability of urban habitats (4), thus facilitating the development of 15-min cities. Existing studies on TOD complexes have mainly focused on planning-related fields (5) and their impact on the built environment, or more specifically, their impact on the surrounding communities (6,7) and historical buildings (8).…”