Strategies for Acoustical Resilience towards Liveable and Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods

A Case Study of Bangalore City, India

Abstract

This research explores the concept of sound as a determinant for planning and designing liveable neighborhoods based on an understanding of noise pollution. The paper broadly begins with an interest in sustainable designs of urban residential neighborhoods globally and specifically in typical cities of India and the Asian subcontinent. The UN SDG 11 mentions, 'make cities & human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.' While the most evident sustainability parameters are known, one of the commonly understated criteria is noise pollution. Hearing is one of the five fundamental senses; hence, safer sound levels should be one of the primary factors in designing healthy cities. Literature understandings are derived from soundscape theories of Schafer & Truax, who extended the concept of acoustics from architecture to an urban scale; inferences are drawn from legislations and co-related with current scenarios investigated by way of primary surveys in the fast-growing city of Bangalore, India. The study proposes a methodological triangulation with three aspects of primary data collection: field surveys for street-level acoustics (using sound meters/smartphone Apps), Interview surveys (in-person), and Questionnaire surveys (online). Results revealed a sharp difference between the norms' acoustical thresholds and the audited survey scores. Upon analytical deductions, the study concludes with a strategic framework for an integrated approach to achieve ‘urban acoustical resilience’ that responds to spatial patterns. This framework suggests strategies under two broad aspects of design guidelines and a regulatory mechanism to achieve globally acoustical-compliant sustainable neighborhoods.