SoundSpace

The vision of this research area is to create a better sound environment in urban spaces. To make the vision come though we will research and develop new tools and methods for acoustic design.

The sound environment in the modern cityscape is a growing problem and is a serious threat to our health and impairs the possibilities of recreation. Recent research even suggests that a polluted sound environment can shorten our lives. The prevailing paradigm is to handle sound environmental questions in a quantitative reductionistic perspective with little attention paid on the experience of a listener and with one single goal: to reduce the sound level.

This perspective is not sufficient to achieve a good and healthy sound environment. There is a need for another, complementing perspective where the experience of the listener is in focus, a perspective where not only the quantitative aspect but also the qualitative aspect is considered, where the problem is approached using a design perspective rather than a technological. Soundscapes of the urban environment can be improved to become more pleasant and healthier if the planners and designers are getting involved. In fact we believe this is a necessary step toward a better sound environment in the modern city.