Bridging the gap between architecture/city planning and urban noise control

The research carried out by the ESR9 within Sonorus project intends to improve the city sound environment at street level, by bridging the gap between city planning and urban noise control measures. Two different approaches have been followed as a holistic approach to noise reduction: 1.- Analyzing in high detail the effect of street canyon shape on traffic noise exposure along roads. More than 60 different façade designs and street geometries have been designed and simulated using the FDTD method. It has been shown that building shape, building-façade design, street configuration and urban furniture can strongly impact direct exposure along walkways and facades. 2.- Assessing audio-visual interactions in the urban environment. A Virtual Reality experiment is planned with 100 test persons using Unity software and Oculus Rift. Different cases of urban rehabilitation designs in a previously degraded area are tested. This experiment, currently under development, is expected to bring new conclusions about the visual and auditory elements that affect citizen's perception of the environment, and the influence of the unconscious attention of each individual.