Abstract
Growing tourist flows, which crowd ancient city centres, have modified their liveability and threatened conservation. They have increased the need for quiet places, primarily where green parks are missing. While previous studies have highlighted the possibility of reusing hidden sites of historical buildings, it is not clear if this scheme can also be applied in other contexts, and which physical or perceptual dimensions are mainly related to the restoration of these sites. If greenery and water elements induce positive effects on people’s well-being, we want to understand if the historical–artistic component can be just as important for people’s restorativeness. To this end, the physical and perceptual characteristics of 20 different sites in Naples and Istanbul were investigated through objective and subjective surveys. The results show that the sound levels inside sites cannot consistently account for the perception of the restorativeness in Italy and Turkey, while some sound level differences caused by outside noise could. Moreover, soundscape, appreciation, maintenance/management, and importance/relevance were the main perceptual dimensions describing these places. The importance/relevance dimension was strongly correlated with all the components of the restorativeness, especially with the fascination. These findings are consistent between the Italian and Turkish groups.
Highlights
In recent decades, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) has devoted great attention to noise pollution in heavily populated cities and to urban planning policies adopted to preserve areas of good acoustic and environmental quality
The description of the physical characteristics of the numerous outdoor historical sites, which are hidden and scattered through the urban areas of most historical cities in the world, represents the first step to understanding if it is possible to take advantage of these spaces, providing outdoor spaces where residents and tourists can escape from the noise and chaos of cities to relax or perform activities [44]
As has been demonstrated by several researchers, the restorative potential of these places does not depend solely on their acoustic characteristics. This is moderated by the presence of green [3,4,5] and blue [6,7] elements and other physical and individual factors [10]
Summary
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has devoted great attention to noise pollution in heavily populated cities and to urban planning policies adopted to preserve areas of good acoustic and environmental quality. This estimated that, in the EU, 81.7 million people are exposed to Lden ≥ 55 dB and 57.5 million are exposed to Lnight ≥ 50 dB [1] road traffic noise. Recognises the need to preserve quiet areas, as zones with low sound levels can provide relief from environmental stress and opportunities to rest and relax for individuals. Green plants, flowers [3,4] and water elements (e.g., basins, fountains, streams, and waterfalls) [5,6,7] are important landscape elements for human-perceived well-being and offer relief from stressful city life
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