"Everyday Quiet Areas": What They Mean and How They Can be Integrated in Noise Action Plans

This paper presents the open source soundscapes methodology, a novel framework for the identification, evaluation and planning of everyday quiet areas in cities, successfully applied in Berlin through a citizen-driven pilot study. The methodology is based on the novel definition of everyday quiet area: a small, public, quiet spot embedded in the city fabric, at a walking distance from the places we work and live, where social interaction and spoken communication are not disturbed. Methods & tools are drawn from soundscape research, citizen science, innovative city planning and new mobile technology. Firstly this paper introduces the theoretical and methodological aspects of the framework, then it discusses its implementation and the results, by means of examples drawn from the city of Berlin. To conclude, recommendations are provided for the integration of everyday quiet areas in noise action plans as a measure to reduce community noise.