NYC INAD 2019

DESCRIPTION

For the celebration of the International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) 2019, public Hush City soundwalks and a day-long workshop take place in New York throughout April and May 2019.
Save the Dates!

April 8th 2019
A soundwalk is guided by Antonella, with NYU Professor Tae Hong Park, Dr. Arline Bronzaft and NYU students in the Washington Square Park area to visit, evaluate and map quiet areas, using the Hush City app.
Data collected by the participants are accessible on the Hush City Map here.
More info on the event can be found here.
This soundwalk is supported by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA): read more here.
April 24th 2019
A day-long workshop “Noise, Quietness, and the Healthy City” is hosted at New York University (NYU) with talks, discussions, and a soundwalk in the Washington Square Park area. This workshop is aimed at addressing this gap by engaging the NYC community with expert talks and soundwalks that will provide answers to important questions about city noise, including: What exactly is noise pollution? How does noise affect urban environments, population health, and local economies? What reduction measures and strategies is NYC implementing? What are quiet urban areas and what state-of-the-art measures exist for their identification and protection? What is the “soundscape approach” to noise pollution? Why does it represent a citizen-driven paradigm shift? What are the tools and resources available to take action and contribute to protection of quiet areas in cities?
Invited speakers include (in alphabetical order):
– Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice-President and Director of National Programs, The Trust for Public Land
– Arline Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board member, GrowNYC
– Nancy Nadler, MED, MA, Deputy Executive Director, Center for Hearing and Communication
– Tae Hong Park, Ph.D., Professor at New York University and Chief Architect of Citygram and CTO of NOISY
– Antonella Radicchi, Ph.D., TU Berlin Soundscape Researcher, HEAD-Genuit Foundation Fellow and inventor of the Hush City app
– Charles Shamoon, Esq., New York City Department of the Environmental Protection (DEP)
Organizers and collaborators
The “Noise, Quietness, and the Healthy City” workshop is organized by Antonella Radicchi, Tae Hong Park, and Arline Bronzaft and it has been made possible with the support of (in alphabetical order): Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC), Dayton Audio by Parts Express, GrowNYC, HEAD-Genuit Foundation, New York City Department of the Environmental Protection (DEP), New York University (NYU), NoiseGate, Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin), The Quiet Coalition, The Trust for Public Land.
Read more here.
May 16th 2019
A soundwalk is guided by Antonella in the Little Italy area with the Elisabeth Street Garden community. The aim of the soundwalk is to raise awareness on the importance of accessing oases of calmness in the noisy and dense Manhattan. During the soundwalk, the group visit, evaluate and map quiet spots in the Little Italy area, using the Hush City app.
Data collected by the participants are accessible on the Hush City Map here.
More info on the event can be found here.

YEAR

2019

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Workshop and the three soundwalks were organised within the context of the Hush City Mobile Lab project, which has received funding from the HEAD-Genuit Foundation.
The first version of the Hush City app received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant agreement no. 600209 (TU Berlin – IPODI).
The second version of the Hush City app received funding from theHEAD-Genuit Foundation.

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A POCKET GUIDE TO SOUNDWALKING

HUSH CITY MOBILE LAB

DESCRIPTION

The Hush City Mobile Lab’s mission is to make our cities quieter and healthier places to live in.

But, what is quietness? And how can it be defined and addressed?
In the same way that health cannot be defined as “merely the absence of disease” (WHO, 1948), the mere absence of noise is not sufficient to define quietness and ensure a good sonic environment for our physical and mental health, and social well-being.

At Hush City Mobile Lab we believe that people, like you, need to be (re)placed at the core of urban planning processes and engaged to identify, evaluate and plan everyday quiet areas in cities.
To reach this goal we apply the “open source soundscapes” methodology, combining methods and tools drawn from soundscape research and citizen science, like soundwalks and a new mobile app – the Hush City app!

The “open source soundscapes” approach was initiated in the framework of the project: “Beyond the Noise: Open Source Soundscapes” (2016-2018), and we will continue to apply and deepen the methodology through new pilots and comparative studies, like the one in progress in Granada.

The Lab’s first two-year agenda revolves around 4 key-actions:

Participation. We boost and retain citizen participation by implementing new features on the Hush City app and structuring a citizen science communication campaign.
Analyses. We apply the soundscape approach and psychoacoustic analyses to further explore the “everyday quiet areas” identified by people in Berlin using the Hush City app and, eventually, to define a descriptor.
Policy & best practices. Dedeveloping a comparative Berlin-New York case study so as to build a framework on EU and USA policies & best practices on noise abetment and soundscape planning.
Planning. Designing the “Berlin Everyday Quiet Areas Master Plan” and developing city-scale planning guidelines and regulations in Berlin.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Lab, methods and tools include: literature review, planning and policy document analyses, narrative interviews, soundwalks, the Hush City app, psychoacoustic analyses, and the urban acupuncture method.

We are proud to collaborate with academics, artists, practitioners, city makers, and community groups in its communication that noise has to be considered a health issue and the sonic urban environment needs to be a curated common in our society.

In the end, we expect to positivly impact different fields: science, policy, environment, economy and society at large.

YEAR

2018-on

CREDITS

Project manager: Prof. Dr. Lech Suwala (Technical University of Berlin)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Arch. Antonella Radicchi (Technical University of Berlin)
Research Assistant (May 2018 – August 2019): B.Sc. Charlotte Weber (Technical University of Berlin)
Project Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Dietrich Henckel (Technical University of Berlin), M.A. Jörg Kaptain (Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection).

Advisory Board (in alphabetical order):

Dr. Arline Bronzaft, Professor Emerita, City University of New York
Prof. Dr. Elena Cogato Lanza, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne
Prof. Dr. Marian Dörk, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
Prof. Dr. Milena Droumeva, Simon Fraser University
M. Ing. Michael Jäcker-Cüppers, ALD, Technical University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Muki Haklay, University College London
Prof. Dr. Dirk Heinrichs, Technical University of Berlin
Mo. Albert Mayr, Time Design Bureau
Dr. Martin Memmel, QUERTEX
Prof. Rosario Pavia, University of Pescara
Prof. Dr. Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp, Technical University of Berlin

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The project received funding from the HEAD-Genuit Foundation [P-17/08-W].
The project received the no-profit institutional support of the Berlin Senate and it will be developed in accordance with the Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection.

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BEYOND THE NOISE

DESCRIPTION

“The soundscape is a huge musical composition, unfolding around us ceaselessly [where] we are simultaneously its audience, its performers and its composers.” (Schafer, 1977)

Every year 125 million Europeans are affected by noise pollution from traffic, which affects our health, quality of life and well-being. Noise pollution, indeed, represents a hazard to our physical and psychological health, it results in huge costs to our society and it has dramatic impact on biodiversity. To take action against noise pollution is therefore imperative.
In 2002 the Environmental Noise Directive was released to tackle this challenge; furthermore the directive identifies the protection of quiet areas as a valid measure to reduce noise pollution. However, how to properly identify quiet areas is still an open question at the European policy level, as indicated by the European Environment Agency in 2014, who invited scholars to pursue in-depth research in this field by experimenting with mixed approaches.
Through the development of the Beyond the Noise: Open Source Soundscapes project, a novel, participatory methodology to identify, evaluate and plan “everyday quiet areas” in cities was successfully validated. This methodology combines the soundscape approach, citizen science and the implementation of a novel mobile app: the Hush City app.
In the pilot study, conducted in Berlin, methods like semi-structured interviews, group soundwalks and the use of the Hush City app were applied to allow the participants to identify and evaluate “everyday quiet areas” on the neighborhood scale. The results were collected to compile the Reuterkiez Everyday Quiet Areas Map, which was used as a basis to define planning guidelines for the protection of these areas.
Beyond the Berlin pilot study, the Hush City app has been applied in other cities worldwide, confirming the interest of the general public, academic circles and stakeholders on the issue of urban quiet areas and the replicability of the methodology. Positive impact is expected on different fields such as science, politcs, environment, economy and public health.

YEAR

2016-2018

CREDITS

Principal Investigator: Dr. Arch. Antonella Radicchi (Technical University of Berlin).
Project Supervisors: Professor Dr. Dietrich Henckel (Technical University of Berlin), M.A. Jörg Kaptain (Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection).
Acoustic Advisors: Dipl. Ing. Michael Jäcker-Cüppers (ALD, Technical University of Berlin), Dipl. Ing. Manuel Frost (Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection), Dipl. Ing. Mattia Cobianchi (Bowers & Wilkins, UK).
The pilot study was conducted in collaboration with Rabea and Dominik from the Stadtteilbüro Reuterkiez!
The project received the no-profit istitutional support of the Berlin Senate and it was developed in accordance with the Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant agreement no. 600209 (TU Berlin – IPODI).
The project received the no-profit institutional support of the Berlin Senate and it will be developed in accordance with the Berlin Senate, Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection.

LAUNCH THE PROJECT’S WEBSITE

TOSCANA SOUND MAP

DESCRIPTION

The project came into being for the occasion of the Regione Toscana’s participation at EXPO Milan 2015 and was conceived and created by Antonella Radicchi with the collaboration of Fondazione Sistema Toscana.

Toscana Sound Map transmits information about Tuscany’s spatial, acoustic and temporal aspects for the purpose of representing the soundscape through use of a digital platform and an interactive interface. Furthermore, Toscana Sound Map is an archive of soundmarks, sounds perceived by people as being typical of Tuscany and its identity. The objective is to preserve, endorse and promote them. The recorded sounds have been enriched thanks to the intervention of a composer; in this way, short and original tracks are generated. Lastly, Toscana Sound Map is also a collective project open to the participation of residents and the general public. As Schafer stated, soundscapes can be considered an immense musical composition where we are listeners, performers and composers all at once! Anyone can participate in the development of the sound map by sending in their own sound tracks and following the directions listed in the PARTICIPATE section. Read more here.

YEAR

2015

CLIENT

Fondazione Sistema Toscana, Regione Toscana, EXPO Milan 2015

An Emotional Journey

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DESCRIPTION

Firenze Sound Map. A Emotional Journey through Florentine Soundscapes.

The video was commissioned to Antonella Radicchi by the Rotary Club Firenze and the Firenze City Council’s UNESCO Office and presented at the 2015 Unesco Historic Cities Heritage of Peace Conference in Istanbul on April, 4 2015.

The video is an emotional journey through the Florentine soundscapes and is composed of sounds, images and comments, which have been shared by tourists, citizens and city users and uploaded to Firenze Sound Map. It is divided into 5 sections, which represent the main soundscapes of Firenze according to the preferences expressed by Florentine citizens, city users and tourists who participated in the project.

YEAR

2015, Spring

CLIENT

Rotary Club Firenze, UNESCO Office Municipality of Firenze

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FIRENZE SOUND MAP

DESCRIPTION

In 2009, I launched Firenze Sound Map – known as the collective “tender” sound map of Firenze – a freelance project resulting from my doctoral research with the aim of 1) representing the Florentine soundscapes from an emotional standpoint through public participation; 2) filling the gap produced by Firenze Noise Map between the representation and the real experience of the city environment. Firenze Sound Map is also an interactive and open source tool of mapping the Florentine soundscapes as it is perceived by city users.

In 2013 the map’s data were shared with the Open Data System of the Municipality of Firenze under the supervision of the Municipality of Firenze (former) Director of Innovation Prof. Giovanni Menduni and Dr. Gianluca Vannuccini. Since then, data have been updated on a yearly basis and can be accessed through the dataset Immaterial Cultural Heritage.

In 2015, I was invited by the Rotary Club Firenze and by the UNESCO Office – Municipality of Firenze – to make a video describing the contet of Firenze Sound Map. The video, called: Firenze Sound Map. A Emotional Journey through Florentine Soundscapes – was presented at the 2015 Unesco Historic Cities Heritage of Peace Conference in Istanbul on April, 4 2015.
This video is an emotional journey through the Florentine soundscapes and is composed of sounds, images and comments which have been shared by tourists, citizens and city users and are part of Firenze Sound Map. It is divided into 5 sections, which represent the main soundscapes of Firenze according to the preferences expressed by Florentine citizens, city users and tourists who so far participated in the project.

YEAR

2009 – ON; 2015 (video)

CLIENT

Independent research project; Rotary Club Firenze, UNESCO Office Municipality of Firenze

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MAPPING OPEN SOUNDSCAPES

DESCRIPTION

Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute, Architecture & Interior Design Department (Graduate)

The workshop focused on analysing relationships between Florentine soundscapes and emotional dimensions perceived by city users, and therefore on investigating the role played by the sonic environment in shaping the identity of cities. Students were given an introductory lesson on the disciplinary field of Soundscape Studies and qualitative tools of analysing and mapping urban soundscapes. The case study of Firenze Sound Map and its linking to the OpenData System of the Municipality of Firenze were illustrated; finally introductory notes on the concept of open data were provided. A soundwalk was guided in the city; students were asked to collect data (sounds, picturess, comments) which were selected and uploaded to Firenze Sound Map and shared with the OpenData System of the Municipality of Firenze.

YEAR

2014, Fall

CLIENT

Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute

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EMOTIONAL MAPPING

DESCRIPTION

University of Roma Tre (IT), Faculty of Architecture (Graduate)

The course provided an understanding of the method of analysing, representing and designing the city grounded on the so-called sensory approach, which mainly focuses on sensorial and intangible aspects of the urban realm. The core product of the class was the study of the sensorial and intangible aspects that characterize the Testaccio-Porta Portese-Ostiense area in Rome and their representation via a “tender” map, referring to the Emotional Geography (which, in the words of Giuliana Bruno, “includes the beings that inhabit it and the forms of the passing through spaces, including the spaces of life”). Students were asked to apply qualitative methods of analysis and representation of the urban realm, not limiting to localization, spatial distribution and quantification of data, but attempting an understanding of the everyday life through the senses.

YEAR

2012-2013

CLIENT

University of Roma Tre