Beyond Standards: In Search of Heterogeneous Approaches to Sound in the Design and Planning of the Public Realm

Abstract

The public realm constitutes the integral connective tissue that defines the contemporary cityscape, within which different individuals, communities and institutions engage with each other through cooperation and negotiation. Sound remains a neglected dimension of this domain, generally coming into consideration only through efforts to ameliorate the urban soundscape and to attend to the impact of environmental noise. As the densification of urban territories continues, the role of sonic experience as a more critical and complex driver for urban design must be reassessed. The project Sound-Frameworks: Collaborative Frameworks for Integrating Sound Within Urban Design and Planning Processes (EC grant agreement ID 101032632) explores new methodologies to accelerate this area of research through the production of three resources: A sound in practice survey, a publication on guidelines for best practice and an online tool to guide the integration of sound in the design of the public realm. This paper discloses the project's initial trajectory and intersectoral objectives. It explores how the synthesis of heterogeneous approaches to working with and thinking through sound can be informed by perspectives developed through environmental acoustics, architecture, spatial planning, sound studies and artistic practice.