managing the urban acoustic environment: from noise ... · from noise control to soundscaping. ......
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Lam Kin Che 林健枝 Director, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability Professor, Department of Geography & Resource Management The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong EPD 25 Anniversary Public Seminar
Environmental Protection in Hong Kong: Past and Future
27 October 2011
Managing the urban acoustic environment:
from noise control to soundscaping
Sound – An important but often neglected
element of the Urban Environment
• The noise which we dislike
• “Willingness to pay” for one‟s own “sound
bubble”
Outline of Presentation
• Noise is a health issue
• Conventional approach to managing the urban
acoustic environment
• New paradigm – The soundscape approach
Noise – not just a feeling of discomfort
Annoyance
• Annoyance
– “…a feeling of resentment, displeasure, discomfort,
dissatisfaction, or offense when noise interferes
with thoughts, feelings, or actual activities.”
• Annoyance at High Noise Levels
– “…should be considered a legitimate environmental
health issue affecting the wellbeing and quality of
life of the population…”
UK Health Protection Agency, 2009
The Stress Model: Mechanism of Noise
Induced Health Effects (Babisch et al, 2001)
Noise is a Health Risk
• Supported by clinical
studies in last 20 years
• Ascertained by several
large scale surveys
WHO, 2011
Noise-related Health Risks Compared
with Others (Van Kemp, 2010)
• Changes are faster than we can document them
• Conventional monitoring data do not provide all
relevant information, most are expressed in dB levels
Rapid Changes of the Acoustic
Environment
Outline of Presentation
• Noise as a health issue
• Conventional approach to managing the urban
acoustic environment
• New paradigm – The soundscape approach
Exposure of Hong Kong
Population to Road Traffic Noise
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
35dB
40dB
45dB
50dB
55dB
60dB
65dB
70dB
75dB
80dB
85dB
No. of People
Source: HK EPD
No. of People Exposed to Road
Traffic Noise Levels > 70 dB(A)
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
EA
STER
N D
ISTR
ICT
ISLA
ND
S D
ISTR
ICT
KO
WLO
ON
C
ITY D
ISTR
ICT
KW
AI
TS
ING
DIS
TR
ICT
KW
UN
TO
NG
DIS
TR
ICT
NO
RTH
DIS
TR
ICT
SA
I K
UN
G D
ISTR
ICT
SH
A T
IN D
ISTR
ICT
SH
AM
SH
UI
PO
DIS
TR
ICT
SO
UTH
ER
N D
ISTR
ICT
TA
I P
O D
ISTR
ICT
TS
UEN
WAN
D
ISTR
ICT
TU
EN
M
UN
DIS
TR
ICT
WAN
CH
AI
DIS
TR
ICT
WO
NG
TAI
SIN
DIS
TR
ICT
YA
U T
SIM
MO
NG
DIS
TR
ICT
YU
EN
LO
NG
DIS
TR
ICT
Source: HK EPD
Conventional Approach in Hong
Kong and Many Other Cities
• Noise standards expressed in simple metrics,
e.g. LA10 & LAeq
• Noise reduction at source
• Noise planning
Basics of Noise Control
1 Source
Strength 2 Noise
Path 3 Receiver
Source: HK EPD
Source: HK EPD
Low Noise Road Resurfacing Scheme
• Reduce noise emission up to 3 dB(A) when new
• Building cost: about HK$100 – HK$120 per sq m, double that of
normal
• Maintenance cost: about HK$40 – HK$50 per sq m, five times more
• Efficiency drops over time
Limitation of Using Noise Screening
Structures to Reduce Noise
• Little space in Hong Kong for noise to
attenuate
• Barriers have limited effects in high-rise cities
• Increasing cost per dwelling/ per dB reduction
• In some hot spots, the noise criterion is
exceeded by many dB
How Many Cars Have to be Removed?
• Assuming the noise criterion is LDEN 65 dB(A)
To reduce
noise by 3 dB,
traffic flow has
to be cut by
half
Noise Planning is Called for …..
“Planning against transportation noise in a
metropolis like Hong Kong is definitely not
an easy task. However, if we focus on
potential noise problem at the very outset of
planning, we can have a high probability of
meeting the noise exposure standards as
set out in the Hong Kong Planning
Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG).”
Source: HKPSG
EPD Good Practice Guides on
Noise Planning
Screening Structures and Building Designs against Transportation Noise in Hong Kong
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/noise/guide_ref/screen_stru.html
Housing Design to Abate Traffic Noise in Hong Kong
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/noise/guide_ref/hous_design.html
Critical Question 1: Can we really reduce
annoyance by reducing noise?
• This can only be ascertained by establishing the
noise exposure – effects curve based on large
scale study.
• There are several such studies in the world.
Using Exposure – Effects Curve to
Inform Standard Setting
Influence of Slope of Exposure-
Effects Curve on Annoyance
An
no
yan
ce
Noise Level 0
City X
Miedema Curve
B
X Y
A
Critical Question 2: Are people annoyed at home or outside their residence?
• Dwelling
• Neighbourhood
• Community
Dwelling
Neighbourhood
Community Level
Neighbourhood
level
Change in Noise Exposure LA10 Over Time in HK – Public Housing
Source: Lam in press
Change in Noise Exposure LA10 Over Time in HK
– Private Housing
Source: Lam in press
Outline of Presentation
• Noise as a health issue
• Conventional approach to manage the urban
acoustic environment
• New paradigm – The soundscape approach
Managing Urban Transportation Noise
• Not merely by noise reduction, but by
Managing the adverse effects of noise,
such as annoyance and sleep disturbance
• Not just reduce unwanted sound, but
Incorporate wanted sound in urban design
Mask unwanted sound by wanted ones
Significance of “Restorative Environment” in the City
• Respite from urban stress • Rejuvenation • Different from daily chores
“You go to Central Park to escape,
you come to the High Line to be
elevated.”
- A Park User in Manhattan
“Soundscape” Approach
• “Sound …..” – A “neutral” term
– Meaning to the listener
– People-centered
• “….. Scape” – Totality of the acoustic environment
– Human experience is multi-sensory
– Context specific
Soundscape Conceptual Framework
Wanted and Unwanted Sound in Cities
• Unwanted - Noise
• Road traffic
• Industries
• Wanted
• Bird songs
• Water sound
• Nature/wilderness
• wildlife protection
• human appreciation/ well-being
• Countryside/recreation
• human appreciation/ well-being
• Urban
• human appreciation/ well-being
Sound Preference is “Place” specific
Source: Lex Brown
Noise Control vs Soundscape Planning
Noise Control
Concerns sounds of discomfort
Usually measured by
integrating sound metrics (Leq)
Manages by reducing levels
Sound as a waste
Noise Control Soundscape Planning
Concerns sounds of discomfort Concerns sounds of preference
Usually measured by
integrating sound metrics (Leq) Differentiates between sound
sources (wanted and unwanted)
Manages by reducing levels Manages by wanted sounds &
masking unwanted sounds
Sound as a waste Sound as a resource
Noise Control vs Soundscape Planning
Increasing emphasis on
soundscape activities
• Importance increasingly recognized by government and
organizations in Europe – Noise network in the UK and 3+ associated projects
– „Soundscape support to health‟ project in Sweden
– Soundscape projects funded by the French Ministry of Town
Planning, Housing and Construction
– DoE & DEFRA, U.K.
• Increasing interests in practice – Greater London Authority
– City of Berlin
– Archaeological places in Italy
– City of Antwerp, Belgium
2009 U.K. DEFRA Monograph
Drivers of Change
• EU Environmental Noise Directive
END requires “… preserving environmental noise quality where it is good …”
Attention given to “Quiet Areas”
• Value of National Park/Wilderness to Urban Inhabitants
Recreationist‟s experiences/conflicts
Effects of human activity on wildlife
• Recognition of limitation of conventional noise control practices
Significance of a wetland park to Residents
of nearby high-rise apartments
Reedbed
FM 1
FM2
Spur Pond
Mudflat
Woodland
Wetland Discovery Centre
VC
LRT Wetland Park Station
Phase 1 venue of HKWP
Restorative Environment - Urban Park
Soundscape Design at Nan Lian
Garden
• Landscape/Soundscape
design
– Noise screens
– Water structures
– Sound emulation
– Attention “refocusing” –
“mind masking”
What does the literature say about non-
acoustic factors affecting annoyance?
• Access to “quiet side” inside the dwelling
• Availability of nearby “restorative”
environment
• Good neighborhood environment
• Masking – acoustic and mental masking
Protecting quiet areas rather than
reducing noise levels
• In addition to exposure mapping and the preparation of action plans, the END requires “… preserving environmental noise quality where it is good …”
• This has lead to significant activities and attention to “Quiet Areas”
EU Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC)
A Change in Paradigm Needed
• Goal
– Pursuit of high acoustic quality rather than mere
quietness
• Objective
– Not low Level (Leq or Lden) but “wanted sounds” heard
over “unwanted sounds”
• Approach
– Not just noise reduction, but masking
– Managing human annoyance and expectation
Today’s Takeaway - 1
• Sound is a vital component of urban living:
– Health issue
– Quality of life
• Conventional approach has severe limitations:
– Practical difficulties
– Cost-effectiveness
Today’s Takeaway - 2
• Need for a paradigm shift:
– Preservation of quiet areas
– Access to restorative environment
– Planning sound as a resource
• Change in approach:
– Focus on adaptation, rather than merely mitigation & reduction
– Managing annoyance reaction rather than merely reducing noise
Soundscaping
The “sound” approach
to managing the urban
acoustic environment !
Welcome to Acoustics 2012 Hong Kong 14-18 May, 2012
Kin-Che LAM 林健枝 HonFCIWEM, FHKIEIA, MHKIOA, SBS, JP
Email: kinchelam@cuhk.edu.hk
Significance of Sound with the “Context”
• Congruent with the
• Place
• Activities
• Expectation
• Congruence ensures that
• Sound adds human enjoyment/satisfaction
• Activities/expectations are not being interfered with
Which Noise Annoys People in HK?
“Highly Annoyed” = 8 to 10 on 0 to 10 scale
Challenge of Building Urban Park in A
Compact City
Real
Digital Model
• Railway tracks
• Road centreline
• Airport
• Building footprints
• Podiums
• Barriers
• Enclosures
• Spot heights
• Contour lines
• Rivers
• Slope tops/bottoms
• Vegetation (ground
absorption)
Propagation Path
Input Processing Output
Emitters
• # of vehicles
• Speed
• Vehicle weight
Traffic Model
Noise
Exposure
Software
Calculates noise levels in different areas using inputs
Level of
exposure
estimated for
various areas;
3-D visualization
Obtain façade
noise exposure of
over 10,000
addresses
G
I S
Technique of Noise Mapping
> 67
63 – 67
60 – 63
< 60
Leq (1-hour)
dB(A)
Example of Modeling Results
Which Noise Sources Annoy?
• “Highly Annoyed” = 8 to 10 on 0 to 10 scale
Comparing the HK Exposure - Highly
Annoyed Curve with Miedema’s
An
no
yan
ce
Noise Level 0
Noise Exposure – Effects Curve
An
no
yan
ce
Noise Level 0
Hong Kong
City X
A
B
X
Statistical Analysis
• Binary logistics ordinal regression
Binary: Highly Annoyed (HA) / Highly Sleep Disturbed
(HSD) or not?
• With respect to road traffic noise
24h (LDEN) & at night (LNIGHT) respectively
• Key predictor variables
Noise exposure - LDEN, Lnight
• Confounders (ordinal)
From previous studies & theory, to be described in next
slide
Confounders
• In addition to “noise exposure” - 24h (LDEN) & at
night (LNIGHT)
• Physical factors affecting noise exposure
Access to quiet room; closing window; crowdedness, number of
households in quarter
• Factors affecting perception/response
Satisfaction with neighborhood environment, ownership, quarter
type, year of residence
• Other personal factors
Noise sensitivity, hearing problems, poverty, gender, age,
employment, shift-worker, education level, occupation, monthly
household income, sleep outside curfew, sleep deprived
• Results of binary logistic ordinal regression
Factors Affecting whether the
Respondent is Highly Annoyed
Odds Ratio
> 1
< 1
Factors Affecting whether the Respondent
is Highly Sleep Disturbed
• Results of binary logistic ordinal regression
Odds Ratio
> 1
< 1
Summary Findings
• Noise exposure has positive but limited
effects
• Factors are similar for “highly annoyed” and
“highly sleep disturbed” responses
• Intensification factors: noise sensitivity
• Moderating factors: access to quiet room,
satisfaction with neighborhood
Implications for noise management &
planning
• Managing annoyance rather than noise reduction
• Protection quiet areas rather than limiting noise
levels
• Creating a good “total environment” rather than
reducing noise exposure at the “dwellings”
Factors Affecting Annoyance
Response
• Intensify annoyance
– Ill-heath
– Noise sensitivity
• Moderate annoyance
– Satisfaction with neighborhood
– Access to a “quiet room”
Total environment
• Creating a good “total environment” rather than
reducing noise exposure at the “dwelling”
Annoyance from various noise sources
• Human annoyance – Non only determined by
transportation noise
– But a range of non-transportation noise sources
– e.g. Renovation noises, neighbourhood noises, construction noises
• Varies among various urban forms in Hong Kong
Annoyance Management
• Transportation noise is only one of the many causes of annoyance
– Renovation, neighbourhood, construction noises etc.
• Factors mediating annoyance – Other factors in the entire enviro-scape
(Schulte-Fortkamp, 2000)
– Provision of other greenery/ open space (Gidlöf-Gunnarsson and Öhrström‟s, 2007)
– Design of urban forms (This Study)
Design of urban forms
Puzzle for the Environment Manager
• How should the standard be set?
• Is the current approach effective?
• What are the policy options?
Managing Annoyance vs. Noise
Reduction
• Need to find out what can moderate or attenuate
annoyance response
• To intervene by Improving neighborhood environment
Providing quiet side/room in dwelling
Creating positive soundscapes
•To reduce noise by 3 dB, traffic flow
has to be reduced by half
Living Space of the Hong Kong People
• Dwelling
• Neighbourhood
• Community
Dwelling
Neighbourhood
Community Level
Neighbourhood
level
Noise Exposure Levels at and in the vicinity of Home
Dwelling Level
Neigbhourhood Level
Community Level
SH Small houses OS Old development with squares ON Old development and small housing estates without podium CM Compact massive housing estates LN Large housing estates without podium LP Large housing estates with podium
• Coping Behaviour
– Enjoying the sound
– Shutting the ear
– Creating one‟s own “sound bubble”
– Escape into a quiet room or place
– Doing something that is “insensitive” to noise
How do people cope?
• Soundscape is continuous & relatively stationary
• Human beings are discrete & mobile – Activity space
– Mental space
• Human movement – Necessity
– Choice
Humans in the Environment
Uncertainties in the Health Effects of
Noise Awaiting our Investigation
• Annoyance
Culture related?
Effects of coping behavior?
Response of residents of compact cities?
• Sleep Disturbance
Applicability of European noise limits to Asian
countries?
Challenges of Managing the Urban
Acoustic Environment
• How should noise standards be set?
• How effective is the current approach?
• What options are available to us?
• To what extent policy is evidence-based?
Soundscape – More than
Numbers and Parts
“Soundscape evaluation is a holistic
perception, not a sum of the
evaluation of the acoustic
properties of sound sources. ”
• Human experience is multi-modal, with all senses
• Each sense reinforces the others
• Objectivity of “seeing” – “Seeing” as an onlooker, less
emotionally involved
• We can see what we do not hear; we can hear what
we do not see
Perceiving the Environment with all
the Senses
Limited Effective to Reduce Annoyance if
the Curve is Flat
An
no
yan
ce
Noise Level 0
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