Circularity-driven urban quietness as an indicator of sustainability

The concepts of noise and quietness are multidimensional, contradictive and retain a degree of fuzziness. Their notion expands between the physical dimension of sound to a phenomenological/perceptual construct. The perception of noise as a sound of high-intensity or as an unwanted sound has shaped the concept of quietness as an urban sound design goal overlooking ecological co-benefits. The main purpose of this research is to highlight the symbiotic relationship between urban quietness and sustainability. More specifically, actions of circular urban development, including green walls and electromobility were modeled, to highlight their effect on the sound environment of a Mediterranean coastal medium-sized city. Following the guidelines provided by the CNOSSOS-EU road traffic noise model, the effects of the aforementioned sustainability actions were visualized by means of noise mapping. The results indicate that a noise level reduction of approximately 4 dB(A) could derive with the implementation of circular urban development measures. &nbsp

Approaching Quietness as an Urban Sustainability Opportunity

Quietness in an urban environment is vital for the well-being of city residents. Nevertheless, the ambiguity in the conceptualization of the terms noise and quietness as urban acoustic planning and design objectives, has resulted in two different approaches: the soundscape approach and the noise control approach. The main purpose of this research is to supplement the existing approaches by proposing a new ecological acoustics approach in order to identify quiet areas in the city of Mytilene (Lesbos Island, North Aegean, Greece). The use of the soundscape approach involved the participation of Mytilene’s residents and the collection of subjective and objective eligibility criteria. By means of Multi-Criteria Decision Making two urban green areas were highlighted as potential quiet areas. For the noise control approach, road noise maps have been created through a commercial noise mapping software, validated by trough measurements. As a result, two areas located in the outskirts of the city were highlighted. Finally, the novel ecological acoustics approach involved acoustic recordings and the extraction of the Composite Urban Quietness Index (CUQI). The outcome of this approach converged with the soundscape approach results. Quietness, as an urban acoustic planning and design goal, could be viewed as an opportunity for ecologically sustainable urban environments

Approaching Quietness as an Urban Sustainability Opportunity

Quietness in an urban environment is vital for the well-being of city residents. Nevertheless, the ambiguity in the conceptualization of the terms noise and quietness as urban acoustic planning and design objectives, has resulted in two different approaches: the soundscape approach and the noise control approach. The main purpose of this research is to supplement the existing approaches by proposing a new ecological acoustics approach in order to identify quiet areas in the city of Mytilene (Lesbos Island, North Aegean, Greece). The use of the soundscape approach involved the participation of Mytilene’s residents and the collection of subjective and objective eligibility criteria. By means of Multi-Criteria Decision Making two urban green areas were highlighted as potential quiet areas. For the noise control approach, road noise maps have been created through a commercial noise mapping software, validated by trough measurements. As a result, two areas located in the outskirts of the city were highlighted. Finally, the novel ecological acoustics approach involved acoustic recordings and the extraction of the Composite Urban Quietness Index (CUQI). The outcome of this approach converged with the soundscape approach results. Quietness, as an urban acoustic planning and design goal, could be viewed as an opportunity for ecologically sustainable urban environments

The Sound of Drystones: A Novel Hot-Spot of Ecoacoustics Research

Drystone terraces offer a series of ecosystem services including both biological and cultural benefits. The aesthetic contribution towards the landscape and the increase in biodiversity levels, constitute drystone terraces and other similar constructions, as important biocultural assets. The low maintenance and the eventual abandonment of drystone terraces cause a series of drawbacks regarding the sustainability of agricultural environments. The main goal of this research was to assess the effect of drystone terrace maintenance level on biodiversity. For that reason, two closely distant agricultural areas of Lesbos Island (North Aegean, Greece) in which olive grove drystone terraces dominate were compared. The non-intrusive method of ecoacoustics was selected, and the levels of the acoustic complexity and acoustic diversity were statistically analyzed for areas that included highly maintained and poorly maintained olive grove drystone terraces. The results indicated an increase in acoustic biodiversity levels in the poorly maintained drystone terraces area. At this early stage, the results highlighted the fact that the increased resources in the poorly maintained drystone terraces, in terms of nesting and feeding opportunities, increased the biodiversity levels. Nevertheless, the spatiotemporal expansion of this research is undeniably important

Assessing the Effects of Noise on Sound Identities of Historical Landmarks

The degradation caused by environmental noise affects the sound identities of several areas, especially at a city level, so there is a need for immediate individual and collective action. This paper focuses on the environmental noise impacts towards the soundscapes of historical landmarks located in the city of Thessaloniki (Greece). Furthermore, it offers an insight regarding a new urban quiet area attribute, since it discovers whether elevation contributes to the formation of their sound identity. The first step of this research utilized the opinion of more than 500 residents of Thessaloniki with the aid of a questionnaire, in order to highlight areas of the city’s historic center with unique soundscapes. The resulted soundscapes were studied and analyzed by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data. Finally, these soundscapes were assessed by sound experts in order to thoroughly describe their sound identities. The Roman and Byzantine landmarks studied, being at lower and higher elevation levels, respectively, presented differentiations regarding noise levels and other soundscape characteristics. This paper proposes a new protocol, according to which the factor of elevation is worth considering during the process of identifying and utilizing urban quiet areas

The Sound of Drystones: A Novel Hot-Spot of Ecoacoustics Research

Drystone terraces offer a series of ecosystem services including both biological and cultural benefits. The aesthetic contribution towards the landscape and the increase in biodiversity levels, constitute drystone terraces and other similar constructions, as important biocultural assets. The low maintenance and the eventual abandonment of drystone terraces cause a series of drawbacks regarding the sustainability of agricultural environments. The main goal of this research was to assess the effect of drystone terrace maintenance level on biodiversity. For that reason, two closely distant agricultural areas of Lesbos Island (North Aegean, Greece) in which olive grove drystone terraces dominate were compared. The non-intrusive method of ecoacoustics was selected, and the levels of the acoustic complexity and acoustic diversity were statistically analyzed for areas that included highly maintained and poorly maintained olive grove drystone terraces. The results indicated an increase in acoustic biodiversity levels in the poorly maintained drystone terraces area. At this early stage, the results highlighted the fact that the increased resources in the poorly maintained drystone terraces, in terms of nesting and feeding opportunities, increased the biodiversity levels. Nevertheless, the spatiotemporal expansion of this research is undeniably important

Butterfly diversity at the ecotone between agricultural and semi-natural habitats across a climatic gradient

Aim Understanding the response of species to ecotones and habitat edges is essential to designing conservation management, especially in mosaic agricultural landscapes. This study examines how species diversity and composition change with distance from semi-natural habitats, over ecotones into agricultural fields, and how within-site patterns of community transition change across a climatic gradient and differ between crop types

Sound complexity as a strategy for livable and sustainable cities: The case of an urban waterfront

Public spaces underwent a notable shift in their acoustic profile during the societal restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. A silver lining emerged from this global crisis, with noticeable improvements in public acoustic environments due to reduced noise levels resulting from restricted mobility. This research focuses on the acoustic environment of Thessaloniki’s waterfront, a Mediterranean metropolis in Northern Greece. Waterfronts of Mediterranean coastal cities provide unique acoustic environments worthy of protection from environmental noise. By analyzing sound level measurements and recordings during the 2021 lockdown and comparing them to the post-lockdown period in 2022, we aimed to explore environmental noise and acoustic complexity indicators. The study’s findings revealed a significant increase in acoustic complexity during the lockdown, underscoring an inverse relationship between noise levels and acoustic complexity. Urban waterfronts, like Thessaloniki’s, hold great potential for enhancing acoustic complexity and subsequently improving the acoustic quality of public spaces while protecting them from environmental noise. This research sheds light on the possible use of sound complexity as an environmental quality standard that can be incorporated in sustainable urban planning and design