Potential mutual efforts of landscape factors to improve residential soundscapes in compact urban cities

Abstract

Multifaceted approaches covering various environmental dimensions are essential for improving urban residential soundscapes efficiently in compact urban cities. Particularly, visual landscape factors have been considered as influential for soundscapes. Nevertheless, how potential landscape attributes mutually contribute to the improvement of soundscape qualities across different urban environmental contexts has not been comprehensively investigated. The present study demonstrated evidence of mutual efforts of landscape factors for improving residential soundscapes in compact urban areas. From cross-sectional surveys across public residential blocks in Singapore, seven combinations of window views based on five visual landscape components and their intrinsic qualities were identified. Multivariable analyses adjusting for urban neighborhood contexts, demographic confounders, and physical landscape/soundscape covariates were conducted. The results found that urban residents having a natural and/or open view through a window perceived greater soundscape pleasantness compared to their counterparts (i.e., artificial and closed views). In contrast, window views modified by man-made structures of buildings (i.e., human-modified views) negatively affected soundscape pleasantness, regardless of whether these views were slightly or heavily modified. Although the majority of high-density residential estates may face such low-quality window views in real situations, their adverse effects can be supplementally controlled by implementing water-type neighborhood landscapes or waterscapes. The findings of the present study offer valuable insights into prominent landscape attributes and their mutual and multifaceted contributions for urban soundscape improvements in real-life residential scenes, offering practical implications and sustainable design approaches for urban residential planners and managers.