Advances in Soundscape Quality in the Built Environment

Dear Colleagues,

Research on urban soundscapes has steadily grown in recent years, evolving from a marginal topic to one that is now fully integrated into the wider body of work being carried out on the urban and built environment. Initial scepticism and mistrust regarding the practical value of soundscape research results have gradually given way to the realisation that it is a branch of acoustics that is complementary to traditional engineering approaches based exclusively on decibels—that is, approaches that focus only on reducing noise levels. A complementary approach without which it will not be possible to achieve the demanding and internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals of the 21st century. These goals revolve around people, their lives, and their participation in all that has to do with it, including the analysis, design, and management processes across all sectors, especially in the urban sphere.

Due to the speed at which it is occurring, we are facing a paradigm shift that is more of a revolution than a transformation. This shift implies, among other things, that urban design takes acoustic variables into account, focusing on sound rather than on noise. This is a positive approach that emphasises the importance of the acoustic climate for people's health, quality of life, and heritage, rather than viewing urban noise management merely a form of pollution.

In this context, research has gradually answered important questions, generating a climate of trust that will be necessary to advance this discipline. These questions relate to defining the methods and tools necessary for objectively assessing citizens' perceptions of the acoustic climate in contexts, which, by definition, are subjective. They also involve the development of appropriate indices for characterizing this perception, as well as models for predicting environmental quality that not only take into account acoustic levels, but also the results of citizen assessments. All of this is reflected in the international standard ISO 12913, with updates to some sections in 2025. This standard plays a significant role in enabling policymakers, urban planners, and managers to translate theory into action. In other words, it enables them to incorporate the principles of this science into city design and sound management, with a focus on people and their quality of life.

(A) Focus

Taking the above into account, this Special Issue is dedicated to recent results regarding the study, characterisation, and application of the soundscape approach to the built environment. We have a particular focus on work carried out according to standardised criteria, as well as on transferring results to sustainable urban transformation projects.

(B) Scope

This Special Issue will focus on the development, implementation, and validation of methods and models for assessing environmental acoustic quality, with a particular emphasis on their practical applications in urban planning. It will also focus on the determination of acoustic and non-acoustic factors that influence this quality, as well as their characterisation using indices that allow for planners and managers to easily interpret them. It will also highlight work that will lead to the definition of design briefs for urban spaces that are tailored to different soundscape scenarios in urban planning. Finally, it will focus on the development, implementation, and validation of urban interventions based on soundscape assessment results.

(C) Purpose

This Special Issue will focus on recent research results that contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice in soundscapes, as well as to transferring these findings of this discipline to society for the acoustic design and management of cities in the 21st century.

Prof. Dr. Jerónimo Vida Manzano
Prof. Dr. Rafael García-Quesada
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• environmental noise
• environmental acoustics
• soundscape assessment
• soundscape, health and accessibility
• soundscape, inclusion and heritage
• citizens’ sound perception
• urban soundscape quality indices
• urban soundscape perception indices
• urban soundscape restorativeness indices
• urban planning and soundscape design
• ISO 12913