Abstract
This communication compares the previously reported results of the acoustic environment, mainly noise levels at a fixed point, in a quiet residential area in Kobe, Japan, under the declaration of the COVID-19 state of emergency in May 2020 with the results of two follow-up studies in the same area: subsequent follow-up noise measurements in June and July–August 2020, and the present results of measurements in September–October 2020. The results of the comparison among the above three measurements suggest that noise levels were lower during September-October 2020 than during the declaration of the state of emergency in May 2020. In the period from May to October 2020, the noise level was significantly higher in July and August of the same year due to the sound of cicadas, which are common in this area. This suggests that it is difficult to set the target values of the acoustic environment planning by referring to the low noise level at lockdown or similar measures in areas with large seasonal variations in acoustic environment. Although many case studies are necessary to obtain appropriate target values, one case study is presented in this communication to illustrate an example and discuss its difficulty.
Highlights
In cities, but in all places, the sound environment is rarely constant and unchanging throughout the year
It is clear that the sound environment fluctuates over time, and, throughout the year depending on seasonal variations, people’s activities and social activities
If an area is subjected to seasonal variations in temperature and weather conditions, the sound environment is likely to be affected by the ecology of plants and animals
Summary
But in all places, the sound environment is rarely constant and unchanging throughout the year. In reality, it is likely that the sound environment is affected by seasonal variations in human activity in the central part of the city, which is an artificial space These changes and transitions in the sound environment have been discussed in many research works, e.g., [1,2]. Aletta et al provided a detailed discussion of the sound environment in residential areas and reported cases where significant changes were observed in some locations [9]; the same paper analysed the impact of lockdown based on measurements in 12. This paper discusses the fact that it is not easy to define the “normal” sound environment because the area under investigation is a quiet residential area with a relatively good natural environment and the seasonal variations are relatively large
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