Soundscape experience of public spaces in different world regions: A comparison between the European and Chinese contexts via a large-scale on-site surveya).

Abstract

The influence of cultural background on the soundscape experience in public spaces has been widely acknowledged. However, most studies have not used standardized protocols for soundscape perception data collection, nor have they gathered large datasets across different regions of the world to investigate possible cultural differences. This study explored the relationships between soundscape descriptors, perceived dominance of sound sources, and overall soundscape qualities and whether these relationships differ across world regions. A database of over 2000 soundscape surveys was collected in situ in outdoor public spaces in Europe and China. Results highlighted differences in how European and Chinese participants perceived the pleasantness and dominance of different sound sources. Specifically, the positive correlation between perceived pleasantness and natural sounds was stronger for European participants. For Chinese participants, vibrant soundscapes were positively correlated with perceived dominance of natural sounds, whereas in Europe, they were associated more with human-generated sounds. Perceived loudness had a greater effect on the appropriateness dimension for the Chinese sample than that for the European sample. This study provides a deeper understanding of how the geographical/cultural context can influence soundscape perception in public spaces and suggests that such country-specific factors should be considered when designing urban soundscapes.