{"id":704757,"date":"2026-07-22T06:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T06:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/704757\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T06:29:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T06:29:21","slug":"urban-planning-must-address-noise-pollution-to-improve-quality-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/704757\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban planning must address noise pollution to improve quality of life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Noise pollution in urban environments is on the rise but better acoustic planning could help to silence the issue.<\/p>\n

Architecture<\/a> has always shaped the way that cities look \u2013 think sculpted skylines, pretty public squares and handsome new neighbourhoods \u2013 but planners have rarely considered how they sound. Whether it\u2019s the ringing of Copenhagen\u2019s bicycle bells or the boisterous conversations spilling from Milan\u2019s neighbourhood caf\u00e9s, what you hear can brand a city and help to bring it to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But some sounds can be a nuisance: the drone of traffic, the cacophony of construction sites<\/a>, the clatter of plates in a corner caf\u00e9. And noise can be bad for us. According to a 2025 report, more than 20 per cent of Europeans are exposed to high levels of transport noise that exceed thresholds set under EU reporting rules. This can cause stress and sleep disturbance. This week a London Assembly member called for change after a \u201cclear rise in noise levels\u201d on the city\u2019s Underground system.<\/p>\n

Globalisation has homogenised aspects of the urban soundscape, creating a uniform background noise across many cities worldwide. The glass and steel used to construct skyscrapers, for example, act as acoustic mirrors, reflecting back the sound of traffic and even the mechanical hum of air-conditioning units.<\/p>\n

\"TokyoOn the right track: Cities are beginning to design with sound in mind<\/p>\n

Though noise pollution in cities<\/a> is increasing, urban environments are still primarily designed for the eye. We must remember that decisions about materials, streets and buildings shape what we hear. Every new structure, pavement or mixed-use block adds a note to our city\u2019s sonic symphony. We need to conduct things better.<\/p>\n

Rather than simply asking how to reduce unwanted noise, we should consider what gives a city its identity \u2013 and what it should ideally sound like<\/a>. For me, it\u2019s the bustle of a busy market, an echo beneath a railway bridge or the flutter of birds returning to roost. For you, it might be bike wheels on cobblestones, the clanging of inner-city workshops or even the faint thud of music in venues after dark.<\/p>\n

Z\u00fcrich offers an example of what smart acoustic planning can achieve. The city recently began to reduce speed limits on roads where the roar of the traffic exceeds specific limits. This has led to a reduction in noise pollution. However, Z\u00fcrich\u2019s distinctive sonic character is the result not of a single policy but of countless planning decisions that include sound in their thinking.<\/p>\n

My advice to other cities seeking to improve their residents\u2019 quality of life? Listen up: there\u2019s far more to the debate on cities than meets the eye.<\/p>\n

Arjan Rietveld is a writer, researcher and curator based in Berlin. His work explores sound, culture and the built environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Noise pollution in urban environments is on the rise but better acoustic planning could help to silence the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":704758,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[233774,1397,28187,10803,90,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-704757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-better-cities","tag-environment","tag-noise-pollution","tag-quality-of-life","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=704757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/704758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=704757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=704757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=704757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}