Interdisciplinary collaboration to identify challenges and opportunities in urban sound planning

Abstract

Urban sound planning aims to integrate soundscape approaches within existing planning frameworks to create sound environments which are conducive to health and wellbeing. It recognises that the best soundscape outcomes are achieved when acoustic environments are considered from the outset of the urban planning and design process-and that this must be done with the interdisciplinary involvement of professionals from a range of fields. While the benefits of soundscape approaches in urban design have been demonstrated, positive soundscapes and public health outcomes have been limited by a gap between theoretical understandings of sound as a manageable resource versus implementation in planning and the built environment. This is especially true in jurisdictions that lack quality-based environmental noise policies, as their regulatory actions are confined to the mitigation of "noise" as a waste or pollutant. This paper explores the challenges for implementation of quality urban sound planning within the regulatory system of New South Wales, Australia. Barriers and opportunities for soundscape approaches in planning are discussed, based on experiences from professionals in relevant domains and examples of successful soundscape and health outcomes in other jurisdictions.