Soundscape and the Built Environment

Soundscape Basics and Practical Implications

Soundscape research represents a paradigm shift, as it involves human and social sciences and physical measurements to account for the diversity of soundscapes across countries and cultures. Moreover, it treats environmental sounds as a resource rather than a waste.

is the first book to systematically discuss soundscape in the built environment. It begins with a presentation of theory and basic background, answering questions such as: what is soundscape, how is it important, and how does it affect people in terms of their health and perception on the acoustic environment. The book then sets out tools for implementing a soundscape approach, with measurement techniques, mapping, and good soundscape practices. It also delivers a series of examples of the application of the soundscape approach in planning, design, and assessment.

• Discusses soundscape and environmental noise
• Explores cultural variations and the way they influence soundscape
• Introduces binaural measurement technology and psychoacoustics
• Examines the physical, psychological, and physiological restorative mechanism of high-quality acoustic environments
• Presents soundscape mapping based on human perception of sound sources
• Includes real-world examples and case studies highlighting the key issues in soundscape intervention

is written by a group of leading international figures and derives from a four-year EU COST project on Soundscapes of European Cities and Landscapes. It presents a consensus on the current state of the art and is not merely a collection of different views. It is written for acoustic consultants, urban planners, designers and policy makers, as well as for graduate students and researchers.

Jian Kang obtained his first degree and MSc from Tsinghua University in Beijing, and his Ph.D from the University of Cambridge. He has been a professor of acoustics at the School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, since 2003. Before joining Sheffield, he worked as a senior research associate at the Martin Centre, University of Cambridge, and as an A. v. Humboldt Fellow at the Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics in Germany. His main research area is architectural and environmental acoustics. He has published three books, more than 200 refereed journal papers and book chapters, and more than 300 conference papers. He served as chair of the European Committee COST Action TD 082011-201204 "Soundscape of European Cities and Landscapes."

is a professor of psychoacoustics and noise effects at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Engineering Acoustics, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany. She has been a research professor at MIT Boston, Osaka University, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris. She is a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and an associate editor of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Her research activities include psychoacoustics, acoustic ecology, and soundscapes. She served as co-chair of the European Committee COST Action TD 082011-201204 "Soundscape of European Cities and Landscapes." She is not only a member of ISO/TC 43/SC 1/WG 54 -12913-1 "Perceptual Assessment of Soundscape Quality" but also project leader for the NWIP 12913-2 Acoustics-Soundscape-Part 2: Methods and Measurements in Soundscape Studies. She is a distinguished international member of INCE USA. From 2011 to 2012, among others Professor Schulte-Fortkamp served as vice president of the Acoustical Society of America. In 2012, she received the European Soundscape Award.