Soundscape mapping in environmental noise management and urban planning: case studies in two UK cities

Abstract

The current European practice in noise policy the last fifteen years is primarily focused on the application of guidelines andmeasures related to noise reduction as described in the Environmental NoiseDirective (END) [1]. In the same wavelength, noise action plans and all the supportive documentation for strategic noise mapping [2] are focused mainly on improving the accuracy of the END and increase the precision of the reported population exposed at high noise bands. In this framework, mapping is a useful tool to aid the planning and design process [3]. Some studies have tried to formulate a better traffic model by using dynamic noise mapping techniques [4, 5] or even data extracted from participatory noise mapping techniques [6, 7]. Moreover, the need to combine a holistic approach in environmental noise policy by combining the noise mapping with the soundscape approach has recently been raised by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) in the Good Practice Guide on Quiet Areas [8]. However, the ultimate aim is a gradual incorporation of the soundscape design in the planning process in a successful way. This process can be brought into reality starting from a top-down approach initially in the policy stage and then elaborating the process in the macro-scale. At that level, prediction maps refer to a specific landscape and cover areas larger than streets or squares. Through this process, thematic maps can be developed as an additional layer of landscape information [3]. As Kang [9] mentions: “. . . it is important to put soundscape into the in-