Public Space Users' Soundscape Evaluations in Relation to Their Activities. An Amsterdam-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Urban planning and design
• Environmental psychology
• Acoustics

Background:

• Understanding urban soundscapes is complex due to diverse sensory inputs.
• User perception of soundscapes influences engagement and suitability assessments of public spaces.
• The relationship between auditory experience and user activity is a growing area of soundscape research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate user-soundscape relationships within urban public spaces, specifically in relation to user activities.
• To explore the influence of social interaction levels, familiarity, expectations, and affordance theory on soundscape evaluations.
• To analyze how users evaluate soundscapes concerning their performed or intended activities.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods design combining quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analyses was employed.
• Non-intrusive behavioral mapping in an urban park collected spatial data on observable activities.
• On-site questionnaires gathered ranked soundscape evaluations and free-text responses from park users.

Main Results:

• Solitary and socially interactive respondents demonstrated different soundscape evaluations relative to their activities.
• Socially interactive users reported higher suitability and lower disruption ratings compared to solitary users.
• Qualitatively different auditory experiences were identified, further analyzed through users' open-ended justifications.

Conclusions:

• User activity and social context significantly shape soundscape perception and evaluation in urban public spaces.
• The study offers methodological insights for soundscape evaluation and empirical data on user justifications.
• Findings provide practical contributions for urban practitioners to enhance the multisensory experience of public spaces.