What is a soundscape intervention? Exploring definitions and identification criteria and a platform to gather real-world examples

Possible definitions for the concept of “soundscape intervention” and criteria that could be used to identify stages in a design-oriented framework are discussed. This is in line with the Part 4 of the ISO 12913 series on soundscape being currently developed. For some time already, the soundscape concept has attracted attention from policymakers and practitioners of the built environment, as it advocates for more engagement with local communities in design processes. This is reflected in several documents published by national and international agencies calling for consultation and participation of the public in the definition of soundscape interventions. However, this intended framework is still trying to bridge a gap with the planning and design community, possibly for the lack of conspicuous empirical evidence (i.e., case studies and success stories) showing the benefits provided by the soundscape approach, and some lack of consensus about what a “soundscape intervention” is in the first place. Therefore, an online platform will be presented that can be used for data collection of soundscape intervention examples. This relates to the preliminary stage of a project called “Catalogue of Soundscape Interventions (CSI)”, which has the long-term goal of observing frequent/recurring situations or strategies that can be collated into design toolkits and formulate design briefs that local authorities will be using to communicate with soundscape consultants

Soundscape assessment : towards a validated translation of perceptual attributes in different languages

The recently published ISO/TS 12913-2:2018 standard aims to provide researchers and practitioners around the world with a reliable questionnaire for soundscape characterization. The ISO Technical Specifications report protocols and attributes grounded in the soundscape literature, but only includes an English version. The applicability and reliability of these attributes in non-English speaking regions remains an open question, as research investigating translations of soundscape attributes is limited. To address this gap, an international collaboration was initiated with soundscape researchers from all over the world. Translation into 15 different languages, obtained through focus groups and panels of experts in soundscape studies, are proposed. The main challenges and outcomes of this preliminary exercise are discussed. The long-term objective is to validate the proposed translations using standardized listening experiments in different languages and geographical regions as a way to promote a widespread use of the soundscape attributes, both in academia and practice, across locations, populations and languages

When soundscape meets architecture

The harmonization of noise indicators, noise mapping, and action plans delivers basic administrative information not only for noise abatement in highly noisepolluted areas, but also for comparisons across built environments regionally and internationally. However, such activities do not provide any tools or essential knowledge for the more demanding tasks required in designing and planning sustainable built environments that are supportive to wellbeing and health. Without knowing the determining factors behind dose-response curves [1, 2], the decision process for developing action plans is unnecessarily restricted. Optional courses of action for handling a noise problem cannot be sufficiently considered without understanding the full context—physical, cultural, emotional— of noise’s effect on people. Therefore, an approach for considering these many angles must involve diverse fields of practice and interdisciplinary approaches. One such methodology is the multidimensional Soundscape Approach, which emphasizes how the acoustic environment is perceived, experienced, and/or understood by a person or people in context. Relying on principles of the Soundscape Approach, two urban green spaces will be examined regarding noise abatement strategies in relation to visitors’ experiential expectations. It will be shown how and why soundscape is an invaluable tool in detecting and analyzing needs for an adequate acoustic environment, accounting for people’s concerns and integrating their local expertise to guide the process of planning, designing and maintaining sites

The soundscape approach for early stage urban planning: a case study

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