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City of noise : sound and nineteenth-century Paris
\"Nineteenth-century Paris was grand, busy, and overwhelmingly noisy, so noisy that the racket became a matter for public concern in Paris before any other city. There were not only more people in the growing metropolis, but more sources of sound, much of it sung, barked, or bellowed to sell merchandise. The competition for attention raised the volume and increased the variety of sounds as street peddlers strove to be heard amid the din. Aimée Boutin draws on the first-hand accounts of Parisian noise to recreate, as much as possible, what the city sounded like, especially in its commercial core, and how people responded to the different sounds. Boutin focuses on the peddlers whose status altered in the 19th century. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the Cris de Paris were a musical, textual, and graphic genre that classified tradesmen as fixed, often idealized types, identified by the cries of their trade. In the 19th century, Parisian peddlers were perceived by bourgeois listeners as troublemakers (noisiers), lowlife who disturbed the peace, and by poets like Baudelaire as challenges to the bourgeois he despised. Itinerant, often from provinces that spoke a different accent, they were just a step above begging, or peddled as a pretense for begging, and they demanded to be heard. Peddlers became identified with sedition and rebellion. Boutin examines how peddlers were affected by Baron Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris, and by legislation and urban policy regarding vagrancy and noise abatement. As the peddlers' cries diminished, they were taken into poetry, but they never really went away\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
For the mitigation of urban heat island and urban noise island: two simultaneous sides of urban discomfort
Urban environment well-being has become a crucial public issue to face, given the huge concentration of population and climate change-related hazards at a city scale. In this view, Urban Heat Island (UHI) is now very well-acknowledged to be able to produce a serious threat to populations around the world and compromise human well-being due to aggressive overheating, exacerbated by anthropogenic actions. The same anthropogenic actions are also responsible for other discomfort causes such as noise pollution, which has also been demonstrated to heavily impact societal life and health conditions in urban systems. Both these phenomena typically co-exist in terms of space and time coincidence, and they both may be mitigated by means of smart adaptive and multifunctional surfaces including urban pavements and building envelopes. This review bridges the gap between only-thermophysical analysis about UHI mitigation and only-acoustics analysis of urban noise pollution, here defined as Urban Noise Island (UNI). To this aim, the key physics background of mitigation techniques is presented and the most innovative and promising solutions for counteracting UHI and UNI are described, with the final purpose to foster research and innovation towards more livable cities through a multiphysics and holistic view.
Journal Article
Effectiveness of noise barriers in sensitive urban areas: a comprehensive study on noise reduction strategies and public health implications
This study investigates the effectiveness of noise management strategies, focusing on installing barriers to reduce urban noise pollution, particularly around hospitals. The research in Sakarya, Turkey, employs comprehensive noise measurements and modeling techniques to evaluate barrier interventions. The study included 24-h noise averages and specific measures for daytime, evening, and nighttime noise levels, using SoundPlan software for modeling and mapping. Results reveal that noise levels frequently exceed international thresholds, especially in high-traffic areas. However, introducing noise barriers significantly reduces noise levels, particularly at specific measurement points, demonstrating their effectiveness. This underscores the crucial role of noise management strategies in sensitive urban areas and highlights the urgency for proactive interventions to manage noise pollution. The study identifies the need for future research, including long-term studies to assess noise barriers’ durability and sustained effectiveness, and the integration of other noise reduction measures such as green infrastructure. Practical applications of this research include informing urban planners and policymakers about effective strategies for mitigating noise pollution and improving public health. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into urban noise management by empirically demonstrating the effectiveness of barrier interventions in reducing noise pollution. It underscores the importance of proactive measures to protect human health and preserve environmental balance in sensitive urban areas. The findings advocate for the broader implementation of noise barriers and other complementary strategies in urban planning to enhance the quality of urban life.
Journal Article
Helicopter Noise Modelling in an Urban Setting: A NORAH2 Demonstration for Cannes, France
Urban helicopter activity is intermittent and route-focused, yet most strategic mapping tools were developed for fixed-wing traffic and long-term averages, leaving urban rotorcraft noise under-represented. In the EU, the Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) and its CNOSSOS-EU methods require Member States to measure, map, and report aviation noise at major airports (using indicators such as Lden and Lnight), covering helicopter operations as part of overall aviation noise; yet current practice and tooling remain largely fixed-wing oriented. To the authors’ knowledge, no peer-reviewed real-case applications of NORAH2 to urban helicopter operations have yet been published. Therefore, this study demonstrates an end-to-end NORAH2 workflow using Cannes, France, as an urban case study, modelling 556 helicopter operations recorded between 12 and 25 May 2025 over an 8.3 km × 2.5 km analysis grid, and utilising openly available ADS-B/Mode-S trajectories to generate noise-related maps that can be used to support policy-making. Radar trajectories were conditioned to retain sampling while ensuring kinematic plausibility; environmental layers (terrain, land cover, basic meteorology) and rotorcraft representations were configured in NORAH2. Standard indicators were produced on a uniform grid, Lden (day–evening–night) and LAeq, 16 h, alongside event-count metrics (N60/N65/N70) and single-event LAmax footprints. Over a two-week window, outputs exhibited coherent corridor-level structure and event footprints consistent with observed operations, indicating that ADS-B-derived trajectories, after light conditioning, are suitable inputs for urban NORAH2 mapping. The period analysed is short; results are demonstrative for that window and not intended as statutory exposure assessments. The contribution is twofold: (i) the first published demonstration that connects open radar-like data to NORAH2 outputs in a dense urban setting, and (ii) evidence that NORAH2 can provide both energy-average and frequency-of-occurrence views useful for city noise management.
Journal Article
Noise Estimation Using Road and Urban Features
Noise pollution must be considered to achieve sustainable cities because current levels of exposure to environmental noise are a considerable risk to the health and quality of life of citizens. Urban features and sound levels were registered in 150 streets in the Chilean cities of Talca and Valdivia to analyze the relationship between both types of variables. Urban variables related to street location, urban land use, street geometry, road traffic control, and public and private transportation showed very significant correlations with the noise levels, and multiple regression models were developed from these variables for each city. Models using only urban variables in Valdivia and Talca explained 71% and 73%, respectively, of the variability of noise. The prediction error was similar in the different types of urban roads and did not exhibit significant differences between models developed in different cities. The urban models developed in one city could, therefore, be used in other similar cities. Considering the usefulness of these variables in urban planning, these models can be a useful tool for urban planners and decision-makers to implement action plans regarding noise pollution.
Journal Article
Understanding the association between urban noise and nighttime light in China
Nighttime light data partially reflects the process of urban modernization and its reaction to urban scale, but its correlation with noise remains unclear, especially over a long-term time series, remains unclear. To address this gap, we examine 31 provincial capital cities and municipalities in China as the study area, utilizing noise monitoring data and nighttime light data to explore their relationship in urban areas from 2012 to 2021. The results show that: (1) During the study period, the regional environmental noise and night light index of 31 major cities exhibited a consistent upward trend, with the average equivalent sound level of environmental noise in most urban areas fluctuating between 50.1 dB (A) and 60.0 dB (A). The overall quality evaluation was average, indicating that the effectiveness of noise pollution prevention and control was difficult to sustain in the long term. (2) The driving factor affecting the change in environmental noise quality in urban areas is population density. (3) There is a significant correlation between different types of noise proportion and urban construction and development, with the closest correlation observed with the urban economy, urban built-up area, and urban construction land area. Cities with high levels of urbanization tend to have more vulnerable acoustic environments. (4) Industrial noise percentage of urban environmental noise has a significant positive impact on nighttime light data. This study provides valuable insights for promoting the coordinated development between urbanization and acoustic environment optimization, as well as fostering a healthy and sustainable living environment.
Journal Article
Moderators of noise-induced cognitive change in healthy adults
Environmental noise causes cognitive impairment, particularly in executive function and episodic memory domains, in healthy populations. However, the possible moderating influences on this relationship are less clear. This study assessed 54 healthy participants (24 men) on a cognitive battery (measuring psychomotor speed, attention, executive function, working memory, and verbal learning and memory) under three (quiet, urban, and social) noise conditions. IQ, subjective noise sensitivity, sleep, personality, paranoia, depression, anxiety, stress, and schizotypy were assessed on a single occasion. We found significantly slower psychomotor speed (urban), reduced working memory and episodic memory (urban and social), and more cautious decision-making (executive function, urban) under noise conditions. There was no effect of sex. Variance in urban noise-induced changes in psychomotor speed, attention, Trail Making B-A (executive function), and immediate recall and social noise-induced changes in verbal fluency (executive function) and immediate recall were explained by a combination of baseline cognition and paranoia, noise sensitivity, sleep, or cognitive disorganization. Higher baseline cognition (but not IQ) predicted greater impairment under urban and social noise for most cognitive variables. Paranoia predicted psychomotor speed, attention, and executive function impairment. Subjective noise sensitivity predicted executive function and memory impairment. Poor sleep quality predicted less memory impairment. Finally, lower levels of cognitive disorganization predicted slower psychomotor speed and greater memory impairment. The identified moderators should be considered in studies aiming to reduce the detrimental effects of occupational and residential noise. These results highlight the importance of studying noise effects in clinical populations characterized by high levels of the paranoia, sleep disturbances, noise sensitivity, and cognitive disorganization.
Journal Article
Birds sing at a higher pitch in urban noise
Levels of anthropogenic noise have been increasing around the globe due to the rapid spread of urbanization. Findings from a recent study indicated that urban great tits (Parus major) inhabiting noisy locations respond by singing with a higher minimum frequency. This change help prevent their sounds from being masked by the predominantly low-frequency noise found in urban environments. This adaptation may prove critical for survival in an increasingly noisy environment. The study considered populations of great tits living in Leiden, Netherlands. These results may help explain why certain organisms are capable of adapting to urban environments more readily than others.
Journal Article
Electric Vehicles and Urban Noise Control Policies
Limited Traffic Zone (LTZ) is a planning strategy that is more and more adopted by municipalities in Europe to improve their environmental conditions. It consists in the prohibition for traditional vehicles to circulate in specific areas. Although the main aim is to tackle air pollution problems, positive effects are registered in terms of reduction of noise annoyance and in terms of improved “quality of life” if specific conditions are respected. On the other side under the drive of the global market, the number of circulating electric vehicles in urban sites is also increasing. In the next years we expect to experience a new and not well-known urban soundscape.
In this paper is presented an overview of recent urban projects and policies that deal with noise control and how these experiences will match into the next years with the sound characteristics of new electric vehicles for private and public transportation.
Journal Article
Urban environmental noise and depression causal pathway: Potential role of chronic conditions as mediator
Accepting the fact of a growing urban population and associated health risks, such as increased exposure to pollutants, and considering the high prevalence of chronic diseases, this study aims to investigate the relationship between exposure to environmental noise and depression. The primary objective is to determine the potential mediating role of chronic diseases in this relationship. This study is part of the European H2020 URBANOME project, designed to explore the relationship between the environment and health in urban settings. The main goal of the project is to promote urban health, well-being, and liveability by systematically integrating health concerns into urban policies and civic activities.
We obtained the data for this study from the Madrid City Health Survey, conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews. Outcome variables assessed through self-reports included depression, exposure to environmental noise, and the presence of chronic diseases. We used a counterfactual mediation framework, implemented by the R package multimediate, to evaluate the potential mediating role of chronic diseases in the relationship between exposure to environmental noise and depression.
The study included 8,445 interviews, with a higher percentage of women (54.67%) than men. 23.29% were over 65, and 17.17% under 30. Notably, 7.82% reported depression, 39.53% had chronic diseases, and 35.43% acknowledged noise exposure. In our regression models, those exposed to environmental noise were 1.24 times more likely to have a chronic disease, and individuals with a chronic disease were 2.93 times more likely to suffer from depression. Participants exposed to environmental noise had 1.03 times more depression, being the 13% of the noise health effect mediated by the presence of chronic illness.
Our findings suggest a link between environmental noise exposure and depression, potentially mediated by chronic diseases. This points out the need for public health interventions to reduce urban noise exposure and improve mental health. Furthermore, prospective studies are needed for confirmation, incorporating noise level measurements and temporal data on the onset of chronic diseases and depression.
Journal Article