Let the Children Listen: A First Approximation to the Sound Environment Assessment of Children through a Soundwalk...

Area of Science:

• Urban planning
• Environmental psychology
• Acoustics

Background:

• The soundwalk approach is a method for assessing urban sound environments.
• Existing soundwalk research primarily focuses on adult perspectives.
• Understanding children's perception of urban soundscapes is crucial for inclusive city design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and investigate a soundwalk methodology for assessing urban sound environments from a child's viewpoint.
• To analyze children's perceptions of soundscapes in five distinct sites in Gothenburg, Sweden.
• To empower children as active participants in urban sound environment research and policy development.

Main Methods:

• Conducted soundwalks with children in five different urban locations in Gothenburg, Sweden.
• Collected both subjective individual assessments of the sound environment by children.
• Gathered objective acoustic data, including background noise levels (L_A90) and traffic volume.

Main Results:

• Children rated sound environments more favorably when lower levels of background noise (L_A90) were present.
• Traffic dominance was the strongest predictor; when traffic dominated, children perceived the sound environment less positively.
• Higher traffic volume correlated with lower perceived sound environment quality among children.

Conclusions:

• The soundwalk methodology is adaptable for researching children's perceptions of urban soundscapes.
• Children's judgments of sound environment quality are significantly influenced by background noise and traffic.
• Incorporating children's perspectives can yield novel insights and inform child-centered urban sound policies.