Identification of Metrics to Assess Community Response to Leisure Sounds

Sounds from leisure activities, such as outdoor amplified music concerts, are a common cause of noise complaints in urban and suburban areas. These are generally not well addressed by existing noise ordinance limits and regulations, as indicated by neighborhood complaints persisting even when event sound levels are below background levels. This paper gives a summary of existing metrics that focus on leisure sounds and assesses case studies using these metrics to better understand community acceptance of these facilities.