Antonella Radicchi

WHAT IS A SOUNDWALK?

A soundwalk is “any excursion whose main purpose is listening to the environment”(Westerkamp, 1974). It is a walk whose main purpose is listen to any sound of the environment, near and far from us, continuous and discontinuous, in the foreground and in the background, sounds that we like and noises that we don’t like.
Ears first, please!

HOW I LEAD A SOUNDWALK

My soundwalks usually last approximately 1.5 hours, and I always open them with an introduction to the activity on the field and I end them with a group discussion so that the participants can share their impressions when the experience is still vivid.
During the soundwalks, I guide the participants along a predefined path composed of several listening points. At each listening point, we stop and listen actively to the environment. Then, the participants can be invited to evaluate the listening point and collect data. The procedure is repeated at each listening point.
Depending on the aim of the soundwalk, I can lead silent soundwalks, commented soundwalks, soundwalks with complex evaluation points and/or solo soundwalks.
The number of participants is usually limited to 25/30 people.
In 2017 I also initiated the Hush City Soundwalks, in which the Hush City app is exploited to map and evaluate quiet areas along the soundwalks’ route. Data collected with the Hush City app is linked in real-time to the Hush City Map & ready to be further explored, discussed and exploited to design and plan healthier cities.

If you are curious to learn more about how I design and guide a soundwalk, read my A Pocket Guide to Soundwalking.

TIPS

It may happen that you find yourself listening to your internal thoughts. No panic 🙂 Listening to environmental sounds, especially when the environemnt is loud, might be challenging. Just focus on breathing and listen to a sound that you like or that is intriguing. This tip will help you to re-open your ears to the environment.

(Y)EARS!

My first soundwalk dated back to 2009 and was guided by Albert Mayr in Bologna. Then, I had the privilege of being guided in soundwalking by Justin Winkler (Firenze, 2011), Andra McCartney (Montreal, 2012) and Des Coulam (Paris, 2014). Since 2012, I have guided soundwalks in Firenze, Ferrara, Rome, Lisbon, Berlin, Hamburg, Pistoia, Rotterdam and Madrid (forthcoming, November 2018).

INVITED PUBLIC WALKS WITH SCHOLARS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, STUDENTS AND PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

Ideation, organization and leading of public group soundwalks:

• Trento, Italy, 17 September 2021, digital soundwalk at the conference “Soundscape in urban and building design“, University of Trento.
• Limerick, Ireland, 3 June 2020, Series of soundwalks at the Green Leaf Week, in collaboration with Limerick City Council. Postponed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• 2019 Global Program of Hush City Soundwalks for the celebration of the Sunday Walk Sunday 2019.
• Barcelona, Spain, 27 September 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Poblenou, in collaboration with University LaSalle Barcelona.
• Florence, Italy, 24 September 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Rovezzano, in collaboration with the University of Firenze.
• Milan, Italy, 20 September 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Morivione, in collaboration with the LabSimUrb, Polytechnic of Milan.
• Berlin, 18 September 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Mitte – Pankstrasse area.
• Berlin, 8 July 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Charlottenburg with the students of the TU Berlin.
• New York, USA, 24 April 2019 soundwalk in the neighbourhood West Village, organized within the context of the New York University Workshop “Noise Quietness and the Healthy City” for the International Noise Awareness Day 2019 at New York University.
• New York, USA, 8 April 2019, soundwalk in the neighbourhood West Village, with the students of the New York University (with A. Bronzaft and T. H. Park).
• Madrid, Spain, 27 November 2018, soundwalk in the historical centre of Madrid within the context of the CONAMA Conference on the Environment.
• Rome, 18 October 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Testaccio, organized with the Association Testaccio in Piazza.
• Berlin, Germany, 11 September 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Pankstrasse, Mitte, organized with the Berlin Municipality within the participatory campaign for the Berlin Plan of Quiet Areas (2018-2023).
• Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2 September 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Delfthafen within the context of the “The Anxious City“ Festival.
• Berlin, Germany, 18 July 2018, two Soundwalks in the neighbourhood Reuterkiez, organized for the World Listening Day 2018.
• Berlin, Germany, 16 May 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Altstadt Köpenick, organized with the Berlin Municipality within the participatory campaign for the Berlin Plan of Quiet Areas (2018-2023).
• Pistoia, Italy, 26-27 April 2018, two Soundwalks in the historical center of Pistoia organized within the context of the international conference “Paesaggi sonori/Urban Soundscapes“.
• Berlin, Germany, 17 April 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Reuterkiez with the students of the Rütlischule, organized for the International Noise Awareness Day 2018.
• Berlin, Germany, 6 March 2018. Berlin, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Reuterkiez, with the students of the University of Pennsylvania, Berlin fieldtrip,
• Hamburg, Germany, 12 January 2018, soundwalk in the neighbourhood HafenCity, with the students of the HafenCity University.
• Berlin, Germany, 1 September 2017, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Reuterkiez, Berlin with the students of the University of Edinburgh, Berlin ethno-fieldtrip.
• Berlin, Germany, 24 April 2017, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Reuterkiez with the students of the Rütlischule, organized for the International Noise Awareness Day 2018.
• Florence, Italy, 16 July 2015, two soundwalks in the neighbourhood Oltrarno and San Lorenzo, Florence, at the XXII International Conference on Sound & Vibration.
• Florence, Italy, 9 May 2015, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Isolotto, Florence at the Tempo Reale Festival.
• Rome, Italy, 21 November 2014, soundwalk in the neighbourhood Esquilino, organized with the University of RomaTre.

Ideation, organization and leading of public group sound & light walks (with D. Henckel):

• Berlin, Germany, 28 November 2019. Combined sound & light walk in the neighbourhood Friedrichshain at the “Stadt Nach Acht 2019 – International Nightlife“ Conference.
• Rome, Italy, 7 June 2017. Combined sound & light walk in the neighbourhood Celio, Rome, at the 32nd Italian Congress of Geography.
• Florence, Italy, 29 November 2016. Combined sound & light walk in the neighbourhoood Santa Croce with the students of the TU Berlin.
• Berlin, Germany, 3 November 2016. Combined sound & light walk in the neighbourhoood Kreuzberg with the students of the TU Berlin.