Soundscape and Urban Planning

Abstract

The soundscape technique can provide an improved quality of life in our communities. Urban planning is a key vector in the process of actualizing the soundscape theory and implementing holistic improvements in the acoustical environment on a larger scale. This chapter presents the basic concepts and principles of urban planning and urban design, which is the bridge between urban planning and architecture. The basic concepts of community noise control and a variety of options are discussed, which include the need to combine perceptual and objective criteria. Also presented are the principles of smart growth, a recent movement of urban planning. Smart growth is a method of integrating planning with other disciplines to achieve a better quality of life by creating neighborhoods of viable residential and commercial mixed use that promote walkable, livable, and enjoyable residential areas. Smart growth design is the result of attention to the needs of occupants and users, or the “local experts” of the community. With their common goals and methods, smart growth integrates soundscape principles with the other design disciplines to achieve a harmonized acoustical environment. The chapter closes with a “toolbox” of techniques from which the practitioner may draw to apply to a specific real-world urban planning or design situation and to develop sustainable solutions.