Modifying and co-creating the urban soundscape through digital technologies

Sound is one of the most dynamic elements of the public open space in cities. The perception and understanding of this sonic environment by its users or society as a whole is commonly referred to as the soundscape. It depends on the noticeability of the composing sounds; the preference, expectations and beliefs of the users; and the overall context that is set by the visual environment and the envisaged use of the space. The local character and the volatility of the soundscape make it an ideal subject for co-creation involving citizens. Digital technologies are applicable for audiovisually predicting the impact of design options. Auralisation, either ab initio or based on multichannel recordings, still involves technological challenges that will be explored in this chapter. Digital technologies can also be used for adding sound accents that allow to change the character of the soundscape, e.g. making it livelier or increasing its mental restoration potential. Such digitally augmented soundscapes can be the direct result of a co-creation effort with the users of the public open space. The innovative combination of creating a tailored soundscape and the ability to achieve this through a co-creation process has a promising potential impact on the user experience in public open spaces.