An argument for the discrete processes of a gentle geography: London's East End soundscape

Abstract

My research is on the relationship between the urban soundscape and the making of place. I have based it in London’s East End for its stark sonorous contrasts. In this article I will make an argument for a gentle geography of the urban, where the tacit comes at the forefront, our experience of the sensuous dialogues of the city guiding our making of place. I will use an example from my research to illustrate the ways in which the tacit urban relates to our making of place, notably by examining the process of listening participatively, hence placing ourselves in amongst what we are listening to. Thus, opening the doors to a reflection on the ways in which the senses shape our conception and making of place and the city. Then I will conclude by drawing on my experiences as a sensuously disabled researcher in order to further the reflection on the importance of sensing the soundscape and the discrete processes of making place that researching through the senses can help unveil.