Perceptions and effects of the acoustic environment in quiet residential areas

Many cities have historical areas clearly distinguished from the rest because of the architecture, urban planning, and functionality. In many cases, these aspects give one the possibility of finding a characteristic acoustic environment and also developing quiet areas. Through an examination of sound levels and surveys, the perception of residents and passers-by concerning the acoustic environment of the old town of Cáceres and its relation with the characteristics of the urban environment were analysed. In addition, the perception and the effects of noise pollution of low intensity were studied. The results indicate that absence of daytime noise is the most influential environmental characteristic on the overall perception of the urban environment studied, even surpassing the feeling of security. The absence of daytime noise was also the most valued characteristic of the urban environment according to respondents. The most annoying noise source proved to be the road traffic. However, for similar levels of sound exposure, the percentages of people who were annoyed and whose sleep was disturbed were lower than those found in previous studies. Bells and birds, both soundmarks of the soundscape of this urban environment, were among the most annoying to passers-by.