An online mapping survey has been launched by university researchers working to mitigate the negative impact environmental noise has on city dwellers’ health and wellbeing by identifying and preserving places with positive soundscapes.
The team, led by Dr Sarah Payne, wants residents to go online and identify the quietest and calmest parts of their cities. This will establish whether the councils and public agree over which areas are quiet or calm, and determine what is the best criteria to identify those areas. Dr Payne said she wanted to “establish clearer links between the impact of the design of the built environment, people’s experiences of soundscapes and the subsequent outcomes, particularly in terms of stress and cognitive restoration.