Perspective of the soundscape approach as a tool for urban design

In the last decade many improvements and large applications of noise control techniques have been observed, as well as enforcement and implementation of noise legislation at national and international levels. Notwithstanding, noise in urban areas has not decreased as expected and reductions in noise levels do not necessarily lead to a better acoustic comfort in urban areas. This has increased the concern of stakeholders (population, politicians, decision makers, …) and their awareness of the harmful effects of noise. The soundscape approach, concentrating on the way that people consciously perceive their environment(namely the interactions between people and sounds), might open novel perspectives and provide further insights towards fighting noise. In this approach, complementary to the noise control engineering techniques, the participation of people is fundamental along with their involvement that complies with the requirements issued by the European directive on the assessment and management of environmental noise. This paper provides an overview of some experimental studies carried out in the field and laboratory, dealing with urban areas of Naples and Rome with particular feature(historical sites, outdoor markets, pedestrian areas, tourist attractions). Noise measurements and interviews of people by questionnaires have been used to investigate the sonic environment and its influence on the recognition and quality of a urban site by the users. A laboratory procedure based on virtual scenarios accompanied by visual and audio stimuli is presented and its potential as urban design tool is discussed.