What is your dream city soundscape?
Picture your dream living room. You're sitting on the sofa with the window open. What do you hear? Is it the sound of a flowing river? The murmuring of human chatter as friends enjoy a hot drink at the neighbouring cafe? A soundscape is your aural environment – everything you can hear around you, and researchers say the soundscape where you live can influence your wellbeing.
In times gone by, soundscapes would've consisted of the sounds of nature, such as birdcall and the sound of crashing waves. The reality of human life in the 21st Century means that air travel, construction and traffic noises are now in the mix, and agricultural noise means that not even rural life is safe.
Noise pollution can lead to heightened stress levels, impaired cognitive function and higher risk of cardiovascular disease in humans, according to an article published by the UK Parliament called 'The effects of artificial light and noise on human health'. Not only that, it can affect the behaviour and life cycles of species which rely on sound.
So, what can be done? Urban design is one trick. In Barcelona in Spain, urban planners designed 'superblocks', where traffic goes around big groups of buildings and the inner streets are pedestrianised, creating space for people and wildlife that is free from beeping horns and humming motors.
In a 2025 article published in BMC Public Health, people in these areas reported an improvement in wellbeing, quality of sleep and reduction in noise.
Other techniques include tree buffers, where trees are planted in urban areas to absorb sound energy. In the Netherlands, they have created earth banks next to Schiphol airport to absorb noise from the runways and protect residents in the surrounding areas.
England has a vast network of hedgerows – they'd stretch around the Earth almost ten times if lined up! And it turns out they make excellent sound barriers, particularly if the hedges are large, dense and evergreen.
When we think about improving our environment, it's likely your mind jumps to reducing litter and air pollution. But reducing noise pollution is also important, to create a soundscape that works for everyone – people and wildlife.
词汇表
murmuring [ˈmɜːmərɪŋ] n. 低语声，呢喃声，咕哝
chatter [ˈtʃætə(r)] n. 闲聊，喋喋不休的谈话
soundscape [ˈsaʊndskeɪp] n. 声景，音景（特定环境中的听觉景观）
aural [ˈɔːrəl] adj. 听觉的，听力的
birdcall [ˈbɜːdkɔːl] n. 鸟鸣，鸟叫声
crashing waves 拍打的海浪
in the mix 混杂其中；参与其中
rural [ˈrʊərəl] adj. 乡村的，农村的
heightened [ˈhaɪtnd] adj. 加剧的，增强的
impaired cognitive function [ɪmˈpeəd ˈkɒɡnətɪv] 认知功能受损
cardiovascular disease [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələr] 心血管疾病
life cycle （动植物的）生命周期
Barcelona [ˌbɑːsɪˈləʊnə] n. 巴塞罗那（西班牙城市）
urban planner [ˈɜːbən ˈplænə(r)] 城市规划师
superblock [ˈsuːpəblɒk] n. 超级街区（指都市内禁止车辆通行的建筑区）
pedestrianise [pəˈdestriənaɪz] vt. 使成为步行区，使无车辆行驶
beeping horns [ˈbiːpɪŋ hɔːnz] 汽车鸣笛声，汽车喇叭声
humming motors [ˈhʌmɪŋ ˈməʊtəz] 发动机轰鸣，发动机嗡嗡声
tree buffer [ˈbʌfə(r)] 树木缓冲带（用于吸收噪音的树林区域）
sound energy 声能（声波中存在的能量）
earth bank 土堤，土坡（人工堆积的土制屏障）
Schiphol airport [ˈskɪphɒl] （荷兰阿姆斯特丹）史基浦机场
runway [ˈrʌnweɪ] n. （机场的）跑道
hedgerow [ˈhedʒrəʊ] n. （乡间路边或田边的）树篱，灌木篱墙
dense [dens] adj. （植物等）茂密的，浓密的
evergreen [ˈevəɡriːn] adj. （植物）常青的，常绿的
jump to 立刻想到，立马联想到
litter [ˈlɪtə(r)] （乱扔的）垃圾，废弃物
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