Special Issue "Urban Noise"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guillermo Rey Gozalo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
INTERRA, Department of Applied Physics, School of Technology, University of Extremadura, Av. de la Universidad s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: urban noise; environmental acoustics; noise mapping; urban planning; soundscape; sound perception; acoustic assessment; bioacoustics; acoustic characterization of recycled materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The mobility of people and goods by means of transport is a vital part of today's society. However, noise pollution is one of the main problems associated with this mobility because of its harmful impact on human health and well-being. Noise is therefore a factor in urban sustainability that must be considered. In this regard, actions targeting transportation noise sources are not enough to mitigate this environmental problem, so the development of green and quiet areas as well as changes to buildings are necessary to reduce the exposure of the population to environmental noise. Decreasing sound levels is not always technically feasible and is sometimes not enough to improve people's perception of noise. This Special Issue, "Urban noise" aims to create a scientific space where the problem of urban noise is treated from different approaches. Contributors from different perspectives are invited to submit original research papers on the following topics: temporal and spatial methodologies for the assessment of urban noise; sound perception in urban environments, quiet and green areas; relationships among urban morphology and facilities, sound levels and noise perception; methodologies and indicators for the assessment of the soundscape; applications for the assessment of urban noise; free display interfaces for urban noise data; and the influence of building morphology and composition on urban sound propagation and attenuation.

Prof. Dr. Guillermo Rey Gozalo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • noise mapping
  • urban sound perception
  • soundscape
  • environmental noise
  • urban noise apps
  • noise monitoring
  • noise measurements
  • urban noise planning
  • noise mitigation
  • noise action plans

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Statistical Road-Traffic Noise Mapping Based on Elementary Urban Forms in Two Cities of South Korea
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042365 - 22 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 537
Abstract
Statistical models that can generate a road-traffic noise map for a city or area where only elementary urban design factors are determined, and where no concrete urban morphology, including buildings and roads, is given, can provide basic but essential information for developing a [...] Read more.
Statistical models that can generate a road-traffic noise map for a city or area where only elementary urban design factors are determined, and where no concrete urban morphology, including buildings and roads, is given, can provide basic but essential information for developing a quiet and sustainable city. Long-term cost-effective measures for a quiet urban area can be considered at early city planning stages by using the statistical road-traffic noise map. An artificial neural network (ANN) and an ordinary least squares (OLS) model were developed by utilizing data on urban form indicators, based on a 3D urban model and road-traffic noise levels from a normal noise map of city A (Gwangju). The developed ANN and OLS models were applied to city B (Cheongju), and the resultant statistical noise map of city B was compared to an existing normal road-traffic noise map of city B. The urban form indicators that showed multi-collinearity were excluded by the OLS model, and among the remaining urban forms, road-related urban form indicators such as traffic volume and road area density were found to be important variables to predict the road-traffic noise level and to design a quiet city. Comparisons of the statistical ANN and OLS noise maps with the normal noise map showed that the OLS model tends to under-estimate road-traffic noise levels, and the ANN model tends to over-estimate them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Noise)
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Article
Noise Estimation Using Road and Urban Features
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9217; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219217 - 05 Nov 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 797
Abstract
Noise pollution must be considered to achieve sustainable cities because current levels of exposure to environmental noise are a considerable risk to the health and quality of life of citizens. Urban features and sound levels were registered in 150 streets in the Chilean [...] Read more.
Noise pollution must be considered to achieve sustainable cities because current levels of exposure to environmental noise are a considerable risk to the health and quality of life of citizens. Urban features and sound levels were registered in 150 streets in the Chilean cities of Talca and Valdivia to analyze the relationship between both types of variables. Urban variables related to street location, urban land use, street geometry, road traffic control, and public and private transportation showed very significant correlations with the noise levels, and multiple regression models were developed from these variables for each city. Models using only urban variables in Valdivia and Talca explained 71% and 73%, respectively, of the variability of noise. The prediction error was similar in the different types of urban roads and did not exhibit significant differences between models developed in different cities. The urban models developed in one city could, therefore, be used in other similar cities. Considering the usefulness of these variables in urban planning, these models can be a useful tool for urban planners and decision-makers to implement action plans regarding noise pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Noise)
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