Acoustic design artifacts and methods for urban soundscapes: a case study on the qualitative dimensions of sounds

Noise is steadily on the rise in urban settings, creating a potential health hazard as well as being a nuisance. In major European cities, noise levels are so high that the majority of urban parks can no longer truly serve as recreational environments, a problem the WHO and the EU are attempting to address. This study explores various strategies that promote the sustainable development of urban soundscapes at locations meant for rest, recreation, and social interaction. How are people affected by the combined effects of traffic and nature sounds in urban parks? To this end, we adopted a new track – the use of interdisciplinary methodology – bringing together architectural analysis and artistic experiments, along with psychoacoustic methodology to evaluate aesthetic, emotional, perceptual, and spatial effects. A large-scale case study was conducted at a city park to explore if and how subjects are affected by purposely distributed sounds. The working hypothesis was that it is possible to cancel out traffic noise by affecting aural perceptions using a process known as informational masking. Our long-term objective is to create a scientific foundation for action plans, both pre-emptive and trouble-shooting, targeting parks and other similar public spaces that provide a relaxing environment.