Towards an agile participatory urban soundscape planning framework

Abstract

This paper presents an agile participatory urban soundscape planning process model, which is proposed as a prerequisite on which to build and reference the efficacy of urban soundscape planning. The model was developed through data synthesis and analysis and mapping engagement with diverse stakeholders across four applied soundscape projects in Brighton and Hove, UK. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the model is the first of its kind in applied soundscape practice. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and document analysis of published resources. The framework used for the analysis of the findings comprised four core urban planning stages: goals and objectives, engagement (e.g. prediction/modelling/design/planning), implications, evaluation. The study found that when integrating soundscape planning with core urban planning stages it was necessary to first identify the appropriate stakeholders in relation to the project context. It was found that these stakeholders could be wide-ranging and unexpected, thereby reinforcing the appropriateness of incorporating an agile approach in the resulting model. The study also found that users’ perceptions are central to soundscape practice and need to be considered at each stage of a planning process to produce an effective and sustainable outcome. A variety of specific events, appropriate to the requirements of the stakeholders, are important for engaging planning authorities, users and other stakeholders at different stages. This study also demonstrated that an evidence-based evaluation method is recommended in an agile participatory urban soundscape planning process to assess stakeholders’ engagement at each stage and to inform and guide subsequent steps in the planning process relevant to the local context(s).

Keywords:

• applied soundscape planning
• participation process
• acoustic management
• multi-disciplinary

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the citizens of Brighton and Hove, UK, Brighton and Hove City Council, the members of ISO TC43/SC1/WG54 Perceptual assessment of soundscape quality and the EU COST Action TD0804 on Soundscapes of European Cities and Landscapes for their time, support and mentorship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author Contributions

The original study design was conceived by Lisa Lavia (the overall project leader) and refined under the supervision of Jian Kang. For the resulting final study, all listed authors: Jieling Xiao (who was carrying out PhD research at The University of Sheffield at the beginning stage of this study), Lisa Lavia and Jian Kang, designed the study, analysed the data, wrote the paper and approved the final manuscript. Recruitment and interviews in Brighton and Hove City were carried out by Lisa Lavia and Gloria Elliott (original study), and Lisa Lavia and Jieling Xiao (final study) in conjunction with Brighton and Hove City Council (original and final study). The planning and interview models in the paper were developed by Jieling Xiao and Jian Kang based on co-created content and study design with Lisa Lavia. The studied cases were co-designed and led as noted by the co-authors in the referenced papers.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the EU COST Action TD0804 on Soundscapes of European Cities and Landscapes; the Innovation, Impact and Knowledge Exchange (IIKE) Collaborative R&D Award scheme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); Brighton and Hove City Council, UK; EU FP7 SONORUS Urban Sound Planner project, the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's 7th Framework Programme FP7/2007–2013; Santander research mobility awards scheme and White Rose Doctoral Development Scheme at the University of Sheffield; FORMAS, Sweden; The UK Noise Abatement Society.