Ten questions on the soundscapes of the built environment

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

Soundscape: The Holistic Understanding of Acoustic Environments

The expanded recognition of soundscape studies has resulted in a research domain composed of various disciplinary perspectives and, at times, contradictory interpretations of what is meant by “soundscape.” At its core, soundscape is a construct of human perception that factors in the entirety of an acoustic environment and the individual’s responses to it. This stands in contrast to the acoustic environment, which is simply the composition of acoustic stimuli in an environment. The baseline of human perception in soundscape was recognized by the International Organization for Standardization in ISO 12913-1 (ISO 2014), which emphasizes the interrelationships between person, activity, and physical place in both space and time. The breadth of one’s responses beyond auditory sensation can be much more complex than reactions to noise. The meaning an individual ascribes to sounds, individual’s attitude and expectations toward the acoustic environment, socioeconomic and cultural background, and life experiences all play a role. The complexity of interrelationships between context and listener can only be understood through a multilateral, holistic approach in the field of soundscape study. This chapter traces the broad trajectory of soundscape studies to contextualize a holistic approach and concludes by highlighting various holistic research projects that sought to enhance the quality of acoustic environments and living situations

Piazza del Marchese Paolo: an architectural and soundscape design to redevelop an outdoor public space

This paper will report about a design procedure regarding the redevelopment of an open square located in the historical center of Città di Castello, Italy. The square has five entrances and it is surrounded by old buildings. The Public Library of the town is also located at this place. Currently, the square is used as a parking lot. The goal of the design is to redevelop this square matching the given context. For the design procedure, first, the visual and acoustical status of the place will be described. Second, binaural recordings will be carried out to measure the acoustical climate and third, soundwalks will be conducted to help to detect the soundmarks of the area. Moreover, the idea is to transform the space in a pedestrian area and to consider the square as an acoustical “outdoor floor” for the library. The design process will be focused on the preservation of the genuine Soundscap

From the soundscape to the architectural redevelopment of an outdoor public space

The historic urban centers often undergo redevelopment, restoration and enhancement activities aimed at the preservation of the historical and artistic heritage and at the improvement of the citizens’ quality of life. Usually these interventions are mainly focused on architecture and urban planning, favoring the visual appearance and not considering adequately the multidimensionality of the environment perception, not least the sound environment. For this reason, the choice to adopt the "Soundscape Approach" in the design is linked to the desire of adding a significant contribution to the regeneration of urban areas, in order to make them more enjoyable and to meet the needs of all the people who really and in different ways "live" the area (dwellers, storekeepers, tourists and nightlifers). The case study of the present paper is located in the historical center of Perugia, in Italy. The acoustic analysis was performed through binaural recordings and soundwalks involving residents of the area, in order to obtain respectively objective and subjective evaluations of the soundscape. After this stage, Piazza Danti, a small square located in the very heart of the historical center, was chosen as the project area. This decision was taken together with the Municipality of Perugia since there are several problems afflicting the square, such as difficult routes for motorists, lack of urban design and, above all, nightlife noise. A comprehensive historical and architectural survey of the square allowed to understand all its morphological and functional characteristics, while a noise monitoring showed night noise levels significantly higher (even 30 dBA) than the law limits. These aspects guided the renovation project of the square: a particular focus was put on the interaction between the architectural and the soundscape design, in order to enrich the square with new sounds, while reducing some noise issues considered highly annoying by part of the citizens