- I am a Postdoctoral Fellow on the Habitats Project at the University of Salford. My research interests include sound... moreI am a Postdoctoral Fellow on the Habitats Project at the University of Salford.
My research interests include soundscape studies, environmental noise, bioacoustics, auditory perception, psychoacoustics, urban planning, urban geography, walkability, thermal comfort, air quality, sociocultural and socioeconomic studies in urban environments, impact assessment, room acoustics, classroom acoustics, acoustic virtual reality and indoor comfort.edit
Purpose of Review: This review collates and analyses data on noise exposure of birds in relation to avian hearing system performance. It provides new insights into the mechanistic pathways of anthropogenic noise impact on avian species.... more
Purpose of Review: This review collates and analyses data on noise exposure of birds in relation to avian hearing system performance. It provides new insights into the mechanistic pathways of anthropogenic noise impact on avian species.
Recent Findings: Noise impacts both humans and wildlife. Birds are of conservation concern, given the recent reports of major global declines in bird populations and that one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction. Studies of noise impacts on birds have been, and continue to be, published. Whilst many of these studies report associations between noise and a response in birds, relatively few provide clear demonstration of the mechanisms of impact.
Summary: Anatomical and physiological datasets were compiled for species representing nineteen avian orders. Information on noise sources, propagation path and habitat selection was also collated. Bird order was not a good predictor of bird hearing frequencies, but body dimensions were. In general, smaller birds were found to have higher peak hearing frequencies than larger birds. Cranium height was the strongest predictor of peak hearing frequency for birds. These findings provide mechanistic context to noise impacts on birds and a potential basis for predicting responses of avian species to different noise environments.
Recent Findings: Noise impacts both humans and wildlife. Birds are of conservation concern, given the recent reports of major global declines in bird populations and that one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction. Studies of noise impacts on birds have been, and continue to be, published. Whilst many of these studies report associations between noise and a response in birds, relatively few provide clear demonstration of the mechanisms of impact.
Summary: Anatomical and physiological datasets were compiled for species representing nineteen avian orders. Information on noise sources, propagation path and habitat selection was also collated. Bird order was not a good predictor of bird hearing frequencies, but body dimensions were. In general, smaller birds were found to have higher peak hearing frequencies than larger birds. Cranium height was the strongest predictor of peak hearing frequency for birds. These findings provide mechanistic context to noise impacts on birds and a potential basis for predicting responses of avian species to different noise environments.
Research Interests: Birds and Noise impact
Research Interests: Psychology and Soundscape
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The present study aims to characterise the soundscape of two parks in Curitiba (Bacacheri Park and Botanical Garden), along with a relaxation phase of sanitary containment measures of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, during the year... more
The present study aims to characterise the soundscape of two parks in Curitiba (Bacacheri Park and Botanical Garden), along with a relaxation phase of sanitary containment measures of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, during the year 2021. The authors collected subjective data from 200 participants (100 in each park) about perceived sound sources, sound annoyance generated by specific sources, functionality and familiarity of the parks, demographic data, and motivation for using the parks. The equivalent sound pressure levels were monitored over 15 minutes at various spots inside parks. Subjective data were analysed using the IBM SPSS 27® statistical software, and a Two-step Cluster Analysis was adopted. The cluster analysis results satisfactorily demonstrated the soundscape characterisation of the investigated parks. Such results showed that users are not bothered by the sounds of the region in Bacacheri Park and are slightly or moderately bothered by traffic sounds in the Botani...
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The management of urban spaces and environmental health has been growing in recent years, and the sound aspects were highlighted during the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Locations that generally showed noises from vehicle traffic... more
The management of urban spaces and environmental health has been growing in recent years, and the sound aspects were highlighted during the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Locations that generally showed noises from vehicle traffic presented a diversity of sounds, generally not perceived in everyday situations before the pandemic. Awareness of the sound impacts generated before the pandemic has provided a broad discussion between the scientific community and managers regarding developing tools to improve urban planning and environmental health in cities. This study aims to characterise the soundscape of two parks in Curitiba by triangulating evaluation methodologies proposed in the ISO/TS 12913-2 (2018). Such triangulation included the descriptive analysis of objective and subjective sound data, analysis and elaboration of sound and perception maps, providing a systemic overview of the sonic environment of the investigated parks.
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The acoustic quality of classrooms has a strong influence on the teaching and learning process. This interference assessed using the impulsive technique to measure the rate of speech transmission (STI), reverberation time (RT) and sound... more
The acoustic quality of classrooms has a strong influence on the teaching and learning process. This interference assessed using the impulsive technique to measure the rate of speech transmission (STI), reverberation time (RT) and sound definition (D50). These are the most relevant acoustic descriptors in the assessment of classrooms, where verbal exposure is the means of communication between teachers and students. The evaluation took place in two buildings of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), built in the 1960s and another in 2016. The measured values of STI, provided in the classrooms' actual acoustic conditions, were used as an adjustment parameter for simulations made with the software ODEON. After carrying out the measurements and simulations, the dimensioning of improvements was possible. The acoustic simulations presented suggestions to qualify the quality of the classrooms' acoustic comfort, ensuring that teaching and learning to do not suffer losses due ...
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This work reviews the literature of 46 peer-reviewed papers and presents the current status on the use of psychoacoustic indicators in soundscape studies. The selection of papers for a systematic review followed the PRISMA method.... more
This work reviews the literature of 46 peer-reviewed papers and presents the current status on the use of psychoacoustic indicators in soundscape studies. The selection of papers for a systematic review followed the PRISMA method. Afterwards, descriptive analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were realised. For the PCA, the following parameters extracted from the papers were analysed: psychoacoustic indicator, hypothesis, statistical units, data collection method and major findings for each investigated psychoacoustic indicator. The results show an overview of the use of psychoacoustic indicators, through main hypothesis and findings for each psychoacoustic indicator i.e. the importance of statistical units, such as percentiles, to investigate the hypothesis related to the description of auditory descriptors and perceptual attributes. Another important finding is that many papers lack the specification of computation methods limiting the comparability of study results and i...
Over the last ten years, researchers have been concerned about the influence of geometrical features and the use of different materials on the soundscapes of urban scenarios. This study aims to investigate how the overall composition of a... more
Over the last ten years, researchers have been concerned about the influence of geometrical features and the use of different materials on the soundscapes of urban scenarios. This study aims to investigate how the overall composition of a soundscape should sound from the perspective of the quality of sound sources. With the help of a soundscape reference, the investigated scenarios were recorded and reproduced randomly for 39 participants in a listening experiment. Afterwards, the same samples were reproduced with alterations in the sound features by lowering or increasing psychoacoustic components, e.g., loudness, sharpness, roughness, fluctuation strength and tonality. The participants provided, through a continuous slide scale, perception responses for the following soundscape dimensions 1) intensity; 2) comfort; 3) annoyance; 4) restoration; 5) pitch; 6) variety; 7) naturalness; 8) harmony. The characterization of the psychoacoustic alteration of the sound features was done through descriptive analysis, and non-parametric tests were performed to verify how different the altered soundscape samples were from the reference samples. To complement, a Sankey diagram was used, which showed how the perceptual responses were distributed regarding the sound preferences of the participants.
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The Habitats project integrates research in the fields of ecological impacts and environmental noise to facilitate development of management tools and processes needed for sustainable development. This conference paper summarises the... more
The Habitats project integrates research in the fields of ecological impacts and environmental noise to facilitate development of management tools and processes needed for sustainable development. This conference paper summarises the content and outcomes of a workshop at the University of Salford on 15th December 2022, focused on the development of a UK network on anthropogenic noise impact assessment in wildlife. Topics covered included biodiversity assessment using acoustic techniques, behavioural changes in different systems, industrial and consultancy best practices, and the formation of a network for support and funding for subsequent workshops and projects. Participants discussed the difficulty of methods standardisation, the importance of characterising anthropogenic noise exposure of wildlife, and the potential use and improvement of sensors and robotics in producing reliable datasets. The workshop identified topics for further discussion, including the repeatability and reproducibility of research on noise impact assessment in wildlife, linking stressors to end points, and the potential to use evolutionary changes in anatomy to predict species differences in hearing. The summary perspectives from industry, academia and government provided an important step in defining the knowledge gap between the state-of-the-art and societal need. Overall, the workshop concluded that the creation of an international, collaborative, multidisciplinary network of experts is a key step in developing a comprehensive framework for assessing
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In recent years, several studies have shown how anthropogenic noise impacts wildlife. The methodologies used to quantify noise appear to influence data reliability and subsequent findings. Therefore, it is appropriate to review the... more
In recent years, several studies have shown how anthropogenic noise impacts wildlife. The methodologies used to quantify noise appear to influence data reliability and subsequent findings. Therefore, it is appropriate to review the robustness of acoustic measurement procedures to understand the extent to which studies can be relied upon. In 2023, the UK Acoustics Network produced "Good practice guidelines for long-term ecoacoustic monitoring in the UK". These guidelines will be used for the methodological parametrisation of our investigation. This study quantifies the reliability of existing studies on anthropogenic noise impacts on birds without confounding factors (on an acoustic basis only) through a systematic literature review. The criteria investigated are: equipment used, calibration, frequency range and duration. Additionally, data on how birds are influenced by anthropogenic noise and the indices used were extracted to quantify and qualify noise impact. The screening of manuscripts will follow the Prisma procedure for systematic reviews, and the results will be clustered according to geographical location. This work expects to summarises how anthropogenic noise impacts birds worldwide and how the robustness of the acoustic measurements influences these results.
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Since the definition of the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC, various tools, reports, and action plans have been developed to assess and improve the sonic environment according to human perception and wellbeing. Few methodologies... more
Since the definition of the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC, various tools, reports, and action plans have been developed to assess and improve the sonic environment according to human perception and wellbeing. Few methodologies and reports consider the measurement of the impacts of anthropogenic sounds on wildlife at a European level. Noise pollution can impact communication, species richness, reproductive success, population size and distribution of wildlife. This study aims to analyse the impacts of anthropogenic sounds on birds in three parks and one public garden with different sizes and functionalities in Aachen, Germany. The data collection happened between 2015 and 2016 through soundwalks and sampled 192 omnidirectional recordings. The analyses of impacts consider: 1) acoustic, bioacoustic and psychoacoustic characterisation of the sonic environments; 2) birds call detection and characterisation using BirdNET, type of vocalisation and richness estimations at each location; 3) dominance of anthropogenic sounds in the sampled recordings; 4) assessment of the sound thresholds for humans, as well as the quality of the Quietness Suitability Index (QSI) for quiet areas (EEA, 2014), are considered. The results show an attempt to assess anthropogenic noise impacts on urban wildlife, aiming for a healthy urban sonic environment for humans and wildlife.
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Over the recent years, it became more evident in soundscape studies realised in urban parks the importance of natural sound sources as a restorative resource for human health and well-being. This study investigates psychoacoustic and... more
Over the recent years, it became more evident in soundscape studies realised in urban parks the importance of natural sound sources as a restorative resource for human health and well-being. This study investigates psychoacoustic and bioacoustics patterns of natural sound sources in urban soundscapes to understand and enhance restorative environments. Four areas with garden and park functionalities in Aachen, Germany, were investigated. In one of the surveyed areas, it is possible to verify seasonality differences. Sound classification is possible with the help of Machine Learning techniques, subdividing the recordings’ sound sources into anthropogenic, geophonic, and biophonic sounds. Subjective responses help with the sound quality information of these sound sources. After the categorisation of sound sources, psychoacoustic and bioacoustics indicators are analysed. These indicators help to understand the sound qualities of natural sound sources in urban areas.
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Soundmarks started to be investigated in the 1970s by the composer Murray Schafer. The term was created based on association with landmarks, referring to community sound with specific qualities linked to a geographical area. The... more
Soundmarks started to be investigated in the 1970s by the composer Murray Schafer. The term was created based on association with landmarks, referring to community sound with specific qualities linked to a geographical area. The identification of soundmarks is significant due to anthropological reasons, as those sounds make the community's acoustic life unique. They deserve to be protected, reinforcing the anthropological characteristics of a community, and enriching the soundscape. The present work aims to systematically collect data on reported soundmarks in different urban scenarios in the German city of Aachen. The classification considers perceptual parameters [sound qualities, emotions, and memories composites], socio-cultural aspects, and objective parameters, such as acoustic and psychoacoustic indicators of the corresponding reported soundmarks.
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O presente estudo visa a caracterização da paisagem sonora de dois parques em Curitiba (parque Bacacheri e Jd. Botânico), ao longo de fase de flexibilização de medidas de contenção sanitária da pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), durante o... more
O presente estudo visa a caracterização da paisagem sonora de dois parques em Curitiba (parque Bacacheri e Jd. Botânico), ao longo de fase de flexibilização de medidas de contenção sanitária da pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), durante o ano de 2021. Os autores coletaram dados subjetivos de 200 participantes (100 em cada parque) sobre fontes sonoras percebidas, incômodo sonoro gerado por determinadas fontes, funcionalidade e familiaridade dos parques, dados demográficos, além de motivação da utilização dos parques. Níveis de pressão sonora equivalente foram monitorados ao longo de 15 minutos em diversos pontos nos parques. Os dados subjetivos foram analisados por intermédio do software estatístico IBM SPSS 27®, sendo adotada uma Análise de Clusters por duas etapas (Two-Step Cluster Analysis). Os resultados da análise de clusters demonstraram satisfatoriamente a caracterização da paisagem sonora dos parques investigados. Tais resultados demonstraram que os usuários não se incomodam com os ruídos da região no parque Bacacheri e se incomodam pouco ou moderadamente com ruídos de trânsito no Jd. Botânico. Foi possível verificar o perfil dos usuários dos parques, sendo a sua maioria mulheres, na faixa-etária de 18-35 anos, com ensino superior completo e vivendo nas proximidades dos parques. No parque Bacacheri os usuários mencionaram que uma das motivações para a utilização do parque era “lugar seguro para relaxar em tempos de pandemia”.
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In recent years, it became more evident that the physical environment cannot characterize the sonic built environment without considering subjects’ opinions, preferences, and expectations while using the urban space. Due to these reasons,... more
In recent years, it became more evident that the physical environment cannot characterize the sonic built environment without considering subjects’ opinions, preferences, and expectations while using the urban space. Due to these reasons, an increase of the investigations on soundscape studies related to cognitive aspects such as the emotional dimension and recognition of sound marks was observed. Few studies verified the influence of memories on soundscape perception. This work aims to characterize the effect of memories on perception responses according to different context configurations, such as functionality, seasonality and the socio-cultural dimensions of the soundscape perception data collected in Aachen - Germany and Goiânia - Brazil. The classification of memory types and their stages followed those suggested by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968). The statistical analysis was a Two-Step Cluster Analysis that helps form the user’s profile for each identified cluster. With the identifications of how memories relate to the soundscape experience, the specified preferences can indicate and enhance urban design for better living.
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Over the last ten years, several researchers investigated the emotional aspect of soundscape perception responses. Some essential findings helped to highlight relevant dimensions of the emotional content of soundscape perceptual... more
Over the last ten years, several researchers investigated the emotional aspect of soundscape perception responses. Some essential findings helped to highlight relevant dimensions of the emotional content of soundscape perceptual responses. Initially, Axelsson et al. (2010) verified the emotional dimensions with the Circumplex model of affect developed by Russell in 1980. Based on their knowledge, they develop an emotional model for soundscape studies containing three dimensions: pleasantness, arousal, and eventfulness. Afterwards, Cain et al. (2013) checked other emotional dimensions with the help of works that described the emotional meaning of sounds, such as calmness and vibrancy. Our work aims to verify other emotional theories and taxonomies to classify cognitive dimensions related to emotions generated by auditory responses to soundscape studies. The Emotion Wheels of Plutchick (1980) and Geneva (2013) are used to classify emotions reported during soundwalks in Aachen, Germany and surveys in Goiania, Brazil. A principal component analysis is helping in the extraction of components that are summarizing the emotional content which is describing the sonic environment. By understanding how the subjects feel about these environments, findings can contribute to optimizing how places influence and change the user’s emotions which can reflect on improvements of urban sound design.
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O gerenciamento de espaços urbanos e da saúde ambiental tem tido crescente destaque nos últimos anos e os aspectos sonoros foram evidenciados durante a pandemia do Coronavirus (COVID-19). Locais que evidenciaram geralmente ruídos... more
O gerenciamento de espaços urbanos e da saúde ambiental tem tido crescente destaque nos últimos anos e os aspectos sonoros foram evidenciados durante a pandemia do Coronavirus (COVID-19). Locais que evidenciaram geralmente ruídos proveniente do tráfego de veículos, apresentaram uma diversidade de sons, geralmente não percebidos em situações usuais antes da pandemia. A conscientização dos impactos sonoros gerados antes da pandemia, vem proporcionando ampla discussão entre a comunidade científica e gestores quanto ao desenvolvimento de ferramentas para melhorar o planejamento urbano e a saúde ambiental das cidades. Este estudo tem por finalidade a caracterização da paisagem de dois parques em Curitiba, através da triangulação de metodologias de avaliação, proposta na ISO/TS 12913-2 (2018). Tal triangulação, englobou a análise descritiva de dados sonoros objetivos e subjetivos, análise e elaboração de mapas sonoros e de percepção, proporcionando uma visão sistêmica do ambiente sônico dos parques investigados.
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A qualidade acústica das salas de aula tem forte interferência no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Esta interferência foi avaliada usando a técnica impulsiva para medir o índice de transmissão da fala (STI), o tempo de reverberação (TR)... more
A qualidade acústica das salas de aula tem forte interferência no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Esta interferência foi avaliada usando a técnica impulsiva para medir o índice de transmissão da fala (STI), o tempo de reverberação (TR) e a definição D50, por serem os descritores acústicos mais relevantes na avaliação de salas de aula, onde a exposição verbal é o meio de comunicação entre professores e alunos. A avaliação ocorreu em dois prédios da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) edificados um, na década de 1960 e outro em 2016. Os valores medidos de STI além de fornecer a real condição acústica das salas, foram usados como parâmetro de ajuste para simulações feitas com o “software” ODEON. Após as medições foram realizadas simulações de modo a dimensionar quais categorias de melhorias, poderiam ser realizadas. As simulações acústicas apresentaram sugestões para qualificar a qualidade do conforto acústico das salas de aula, garantindo que o ensino e aprendizagem não sofram prejuízos, em função da estrutura física das salas de aula. Os valores de STI, TR e D50 medidos mostram que no prédio antigo, salvo uma única sala que preserva o teto original que apresentava um elevado coeficiente de absorção sonora, tem valores razoáveis, ou seja, ficam aquém do ideal para salas de aulas, segundo a norma IEC 60268-16 (2011). Pode-se constatar que as salas que tiveram teto trocados por um recobrimento de PVC, tiveram uma queda acentuada na qualidade acústica. O prédio mais novo, possui salas com boas condições de conforto acústico.
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Over the last 30 years, the World Health Organization has been investigating and promoting initiatives to improve urban health. Therefore, some approaches were developed to seek a better life quality and ensure environmental and... more
Over the last 30 years, the World Health Organization has been investigating and promoting initiatives to improve urban health. Therefore, some approaches were developed to seek a better life quality and ensure environmental and sustainable health, like the Healthy Urban Planning approach. This approach is based on the following indicators: healthy lifestyle, social cohesion, housing quality, access to work, accessibility, local food production, safety, equity, air quality & aesthetics, water and sanitation quality, quality of land or mineral resources, and climate stability. In order to verify if these indicators influence landscape and soundscape perception, there were conducted soundwalks in two different areas in the city of Aachen, Germany. Eight measurement spots were selected to collect perception responses, acoustic measurements, GIS data, as well as distance from the receiver, and additional features of urban furniture and facilities. Additionally, this study will investigate if this approach is also suitable for environmental health studies in urban areas with a focus on soundscapes.
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In soundscape studies, several aspects should be considered during field surveys, such as acoustic and visual perception, air quality conditions, context, physiological and psychological conditions, cognitive background, thermal comfort,... more
In soundscape studies, several aspects should be considered during field surveys, such as acoustic and visual perception, air quality conditions, context, physiological and psychological conditions, cognitive background, thermal comfort, etc. Recent studies on the association between acoustic perception and thermal comfort in different recreational spaces were conducted during a single season. In this paper, we report a study with a refined approach performed during different seasons that aims at establishing a relationship between objective (i.e. acoustic, psychoacoustic, meteorological and thermal comfort indices) and subjective (i.e. meteorological, background noise and sound sources perception) data collected at an inner-city park site. We are investigating the direct relationship of thermal comfort and acoustical perception. To minimize the variance of other parameters which can influence the final outcome, such as context, landscape perception and cognitive background, we selected a sample of subjects that participated in more than one soundwalk, during different seasons, on the same study site. To describe statistically the relationship between acoustic perception and thermal comfort aspects it will be used Canonical Correlation Analysis.
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Noise mapping is an important tool that can help in the diagnosis of the sonic environmental health of urban areas, but the traditional noise mapping is not considering the perception response of residents and users of those areas. Sound... more
Noise mapping is an important tool that can help in the diagnosis of the sonic environmental health of urban areas, but
the traditional noise mapping is not considering the perception response of residents and users of those areas. Sound
perception mapping can improve and support the urban planning with indicating the areas that need assistance. It also
demonstrates the expectations from residents and users of public spaces. The aim of this study is to show maps of sound
perception and related noise control expectations in an urban park and its surroundings. It has been studied through
subjective data collection via soundwalks and interviews with residents.
the traditional noise mapping is not considering the perception response of residents and users of those areas. Sound
perception mapping can improve and support the urban planning with indicating the areas that need assistance. It also
demonstrates the expectations from residents and users of public spaces. The aim of this study is to show maps of sound
perception and related noise control expectations in an urban park and its surroundings. It has been studied through
subjective data collection via soundwalks and interviews with residents.
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In educational contexts, learning processes focus on stimulation and development of students’ cognitive abilities, which, in turn, will improve their learning capacity. Cognition refers to the mental activity of the process and uses... more
In educational contexts, learning processes focus on stimulation and development of students’ cognitive abilities, which, in turn, will improve their learning capacity. Cognition refers to the mental activity of the process and uses information in judgment. Based on that, this study investigates how acoustic perception responses can differ according to sound exposure inside a classroom for different time spans. To achieve this aim, students and lecturers were asked to answer a survey about classroom comfort, which included acoustic perception questions, at a controlled environment classroom from the Free University Bozen-Bolzano. Perception responses could be given at any moment of the lecture, but it was recommended to answer the survey after the lecture. Additionally, two data collection campaigns were considered for this investigation: (1) without absorbers and (2) with fake absorbers. Sound pressure levels in octave bands were collected using a microphone array during the lectures period. The post-treatment of this data consisted of calculating sound pressure level averages for two different time spans: the whole lecture period and for the moment which the participants answered the survey. Room acoustic measurements were carried out to characterize the environment on different scenarios.In educational contexts, learning processes focus on stimulation and development of students’ cognitive abilities, which, in turn, will improve their learning capacity. Cognition refers to the mental activity of the process and uses information in judgment. Based on that, this study investigates how acoustic perception responses can differ according to sound exposure inside a classroom for different time spans. To achieve this aim, students and lecturers were asked to answer a survey about classroom comfort, which included acoustic perception questions, at a controlled environment classroom from the Free University Bozen-Bolzano. Perception responses could be given at any moment of the lecture, but it was recommended to answer the survey after the lecture. Additionally, two data collection campaigns were considered for this investigation: (1) without absorbers and (2) with fake absorbers. Sound pressure levels in octave bands were collected using a microphone array during the lectures period. The post-tre...
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Architectural design process contains a crucial stage called “insight”, in which the vital creative phase of the design process begins. Additionally, “design fixation”, or simply designing from external stimuli, has been one of the most... more
Architectural design process contains a crucial stage called “insight”, in which the vital creative phase of the design process begins. Additionally, “design fixation”, or simply designing from external stimuli, has been one of the most common methods to approach this phase. Sound as external stimuli for designing, has been used in many historical cases. However, it has never been considered as a design engine for inhabited interior environments. For this reason, some experiments were conducted, designing from a soundscape. This paper will present an educational experience at Barcelona School of Architecture in UPC and at the Faculty of Architecture in RWTH Aachen University, among others. The main features –such as active learning process, projectbased workshop or decodification of spatial perception- will be highlighted.
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O presente estudo visa identificar as limitações nos estudos de paisagem sonora em parques urbanos na cidade de Curitiba-Paraná, por intermédio de revisão de trabalhos de acústica ambiental realizados no local. Foi realizada uma busca de... more
O presente estudo visa identificar as limitações nos estudos de paisagem sonora em parques urbanos na cidade de Curitiba-Paraná, por intermédio de revisão de trabalhos de acústica ambiental realizados no local. Foi realizada uma busca de trabalhos acadêmicos com a temática parques urbanos, ruído ambiental e paisagem sonora no repositório da Universidade Federal do Paraná, e foram identificados os trabalhos realizados no Laboratório de Acústica Ambiental-Industrial e Conforto Acústico (LAAICA). Por meio dos resultados foi possível observar a evolução histórica dos estudos de paisagem sonora nos parques urbanos e suas limitações e principais conclusões de cada estudo. As principais limitações encontradas nos estudos apresentados foram a falta de planejamento urbano e a interferência de outros fatores ambientais e pessoais na percepção sonora.
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Research over the last decade has explored the relevance of psychoacoustic indicators such as Loudness (N), Sharpness (S), Roughness (R) and Fluctuation Strength (FS) for the description of the perceptual construct of soundscapes.... more
Research over the last decade has explored the relevance of psychoacoustic indicators such as Loudness (N), Sharpness (S), Roughness (R) and Fluctuation Strength (FS) for the description of the perceptual construct of soundscapes. Furthermore, the recent ISO 12913-2 standard, published in 2018, recommends their use for the quantitative assessment of soundscapes. However, usually, investigations on soundscapes are using averages of the psychoacoustic indicators, and little research has evaluated the relevance of percentiles for the perceptual description of physical environments in terms of geometrical features, prevailing noise sources, temporal and meteorological variables, etc. This study aims to verify whether psychoacoustic percentiles can representatively describe the geometrical features of different urban sonic environments. For this purpose, recordings were taken in Aachen and Madrid in different days and seasons, at 14 certain locations in each town. In addition, morphologi...
The city of Aachen is a university city, surrounded by some green areas, including a recreational area close to the center called: the Westpark. While it is close to the university campus, some of the students' population lives near to... more
The city of Aachen is a university city, surrounded by some green areas, including a recreational area close to the center called: the Westpark. While it is close to the university campus, some of the students' population lives near to the park and they use it during leisure time. According to the city of Aachen, 36% of the inhabitants living in this area are aged between 20 and 29 years and 16% are non-German. In this study, soundwalks are carried out with users of the park and interviews on sound perception are conducted with local residents. During the soundwalks and interviews, synchronized sound measurements are also performed. Psychoacoustic parameters are calculated based on binaural and omnidirectional recordings, providing the objective data of this study. The subjective data collected from both, the park user and resident interviews, are analyzed using a two-step cluster analysis model. Results of the subjective and objective data are compared to indicate how sound is perceived by the users of a public park and residents who live in its neighborhood.
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The city of Aachen is a university city with 250,377 inhabitants, surrounded by some green areas, including a recreational area close to the center: the Westpark with 7,985 inhabitants within its surroundings. While the park is close to... more
The city of Aachen is a university city with 250,377 inhabitants, surrounded by some green areas, including a recreational area close to the center: the Westpark with 7,985 inhabitants within its surroundings. While the park is close to the university campus, some of the students’ population lives near to the park and they use it during leisure time.
According to the city of Aachen, 36% of the inhabitants living in this area are aged between 20 and 29 years and 16% are non-German. This study aims to verify socio-cultural di erences in sound perception of users of a public park and residents who live in its neighborhood. In this study, soundwalks are carried out with users of the park and interviews on
sound perception are conducted with local residents. During the soundwalks and interviews, synchronized sound and meteorological measurements are also performed. The subjective data collected from both, the park user and resident samples, are analyzed using a two-step cluster analysis model. Results of the cluster analysis from these two samples are compared to indicate how sound is perceived in Westpark in the spatial and social-cultural contexts.
According to the city of Aachen, 36% of the inhabitants living in this area are aged between 20 and 29 years and 16% are non-German. This study aims to verify socio-cultural di erences in sound perception of users of a public park and residents who live in its neighborhood. In this study, soundwalks are carried out with users of the park and interviews on
sound perception are conducted with local residents. During the soundwalks and interviews, synchronized sound and meteorological measurements are also performed. The subjective data collected from both, the park user and resident samples, are analyzed using a two-step cluster analysis model. Results of the cluster analysis from these two samples are compared to indicate how sound is perceived in Westpark in the spatial and social-cultural contexts.
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Research Interests:
This work is part of a broader study on environmental factors influencing the amount of the cost of environmental noise in urban areas. The research is integrated into a project area called Urban Future Outline (UFO) at the Human... more
This work is part of a broader study on environmental factors influencing the amount of the cost of environmental noise in urban areas. The research is integrated into a project area called Urban Future Outline (UFO) at the Human Technolgoy Centre (HumTec) at RWTH Aachen University. The aim of the here presented study is to evaluate the influence of urban climate in the perception of the environment of answers from the following aspects: visual, auditory, climatic, cultural, emotional and economic. The method selected to collect perception data is the so-called method of “soundwalks” in which a group of people express their views on urban landscapes and their perception on soundscapes with the aid of a structured questionnaire. At the same time, the sound data was monitored with the aid of Sennheiser KE-3 microphones. . To check the influence of urban climate on perceptual responses obtained through soundwalks nonparametric tests are calculated as follows: Spearman correlation coefficient for quantitative and Chi2 data, along with the V Cramer coefficient for qualitative data. In the contribution to ICUC we will present results regarding the influence of actual atmospheric conditions on pedestrians’ perception of other environmental factors and soundscapes for the study site of the city of Aachen.
Research Interests:
The aim of this study is to evaluate and demonstrate spatially the sound perception on four points in the central region of Aachen. Therefore, the results of noise mapping of the region and sound perception interviews during daytime on... more
The aim of this study is to evaluate and demonstrate spatially the sound perception on four points in the central region of
Aachen. Therefore, the results of noise mapping of the region and sound perception interviews during daytime on four
points are evaluated. The sound perception results were plotted at each point using the tools from the software ESRI -
ArcGIS. The first part of the questionnaire of sound perception contained questions about the perception of the location
which includes: perception of sound intensity, acoustic comfort, nuisance and restoration of the well-being through
the sonic environment; the second part of the questionnaire was an auditory evaluation like: auditory classification,
existence of hearing problems, and use of hearing aids. The results showed that questions about acoustic comfort,
nuisance, and restoration of wellness through the sonic environment should be compared with other acoustic indices,
since the equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) does not represent the sound perception based on the results of the
questionnaire.
Aachen. Therefore, the results of noise mapping of the region and sound perception interviews during daytime on four
points are evaluated. The sound perception results were plotted at each point using the tools from the software ESRI -
ArcGIS. The first part of the questionnaire of sound perception contained questions about the perception of the location
which includes: perception of sound intensity, acoustic comfort, nuisance and restoration of the well-being through
the sonic environment; the second part of the questionnaire was an auditory evaluation like: auditory classification,
existence of hearing problems, and use of hearing aids. The results showed that questions about acoustic comfort,
nuisance, and restoration of wellness through the sonic environment should be compared with other acoustic indices,
since the equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) does not represent the sound perception based on the results of the
questionnaire.
Research Interests:
"The aim of this study was the sound characterization of a large urban avenue (Green Line) and the verification of the effects of sound propagation in the study area. Thus, sound monitoring was conducted along the avenue and the... more
"The aim of this study was the sound characterization of
a large urban avenue (Green Line) and the verification of
the effects of sound propagation in the study area. Thus,
sound monitoring was conducted along the avenue and
the adjacent routes, totaling 31 monitoring sites; sound
mappings were also conducted, as well as sound
perception interviews with 397 informants. To sound
monitoring the following sound pressure measuring
instruments were used: B&K 2238, B&K 2260 and B&K
2250. To sound mapping the sound prediction software
B&K Predictor 7810 was used. The results of the sound
measurements and mappings showed that the grand
avenue and the urban noises coming form the
secondary routes contribute significantly to noise
pollution in the study area. However, due to the urban
zoning in the area, 56% of respondents reported that
they do not feel bothered by noise and the 44% who are
uncomfortable most frequently complained of noise
coming from the secondary routes adjacent to the large
urban avenue."
a large urban avenue (Green Line) and the verification of
the effects of sound propagation in the study area. Thus,
sound monitoring was conducted along the avenue and
the adjacent routes, totaling 31 monitoring sites; sound
mappings were also conducted, as well as sound
perception interviews with 397 informants. To sound
monitoring the following sound pressure measuring
instruments were used: B&K 2238, B&K 2260 and B&K
2250. To sound mapping the sound prediction software
B&K Predictor 7810 was used. The results of the sound
measurements and mappings showed that the grand
avenue and the urban noises coming form the
secondary routes contribute significantly to noise
pollution in the study area. However, due to the urban
zoning in the area, 56% of respondents reported that
they do not feel bothered by noise and the 44% who are
uncomfortable most frequently complained of noise
coming from the secondary routes adjacent to the large
urban avenue."
Research Interests:
The aim of this study was to show the efficiency of the use of Factor Analysis and Multinomial Logistic Regression to account for a combination of objective data (noise measurement results) and subjective data (interview results of... more
The aim of this study was to show the efficiency of the use of Factor Analysis and
Multinomial Logistic Regression to account for a combination of objective data
(noise measurement results) and subjective data (interview results of noise
perception in an urban setting) in a noise pollution research, conducted in the
city of Curitiba, in the south Brazil. In this study the noise was monitored at 23
points in tree parallel streets along a distance of 5 km and 397 interviews were
conducted with the dwellers around these points. The questionnaire for conducting
the interviews was made up of 21 questions (variables). In order to reduce these
variables, it was necessary to extract the main factors (7 factors) which later on
were added to the objective part (noise measurement data). After that a
Multinomial Logistic Regression was performed. The dependent variable in this
regression was called “symptoms and reactions linked to the environmental noise by
the interviewee”. The outcome of these two statistical procedures led to the
conclusion that 81.5% of the symptoms and reactions could be accounted for by the
combination of these seven factors with the noise measurement data.
Multinomial Logistic Regression to account for a combination of objective data
(noise measurement results) and subjective data (interview results of noise
perception in an urban setting) in a noise pollution research, conducted in the
city of Curitiba, in the south Brazil. In this study the noise was monitored at 23
points in tree parallel streets along a distance of 5 km and 397 interviews were
conducted with the dwellers around these points. The questionnaire for conducting
the interviews was made up of 21 questions (variables). In order to reduce these
variables, it was necessary to extract the main factors (7 factors) which later on
were added to the objective part (noise measurement data). After that a
Multinomial Logistic Regression was performed. The dependent variable in this
regression was called “symptoms and reactions linked to the environmental noise by
the interviewee”. The outcome of these two statistical procedures led to the
conclusion that 81.5% of the symptoms and reactions could be accounted for by the
combination of these seven factors with the noise measurement data.
Research Interests:
This work involved an evaluation of environmental noise on the campus of the Polytechnic Center of the Federal University of Paraná (Curitiba, Brazil). The methodology was divided into: 1) Subjective part – preparation and application of... more
This work involved an evaluation of environmental noise on the campus of the Polytechnic Center of the Federal University of Paraná (Curitiba, Brazil). The methodology was divided into: 1) Subjective part – preparation and application of a questionnaire to a sample of 389 people from the campus population to gather information about their reactions to noise, as well as behavioral and demographic data; and 2) Objective part – involving equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) measurements at 58 points on campus, using B&K 2250 and B&K 2260 sound level meters. The LAeq data were compared with the noise emission limits for external environments proposed by Maschke (1999): LAeq = 65 dB(A). The results indicated that 87% of the measured points were below the 65 dB(A) limit. Sixty percent of the interviewees perceived no increase in noise pollution on campus, while 39% perceived the opposite. 52% percent of the interviewees stated they not felt irked by the noise on campus while 47% did. The noise on campus caused 43% of the interviewees to state they had difficulty in concentrating, 25% felt irked, 12% had headaches, and 13% indicated that it did not affect them.
Research Interests:
An analysis was made of acoustic descriptors for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Study. The parameters evaluated were: noise measurement time, the need for triplicate noise measurements, and determination of the grid spacing... more
An analysis was made of acoustic descriptors for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Study. The parameters evaluated were: noise measurement time, the need for triplicate noise measurements, and determination of the grid spacing for noise mapping. The noise measurements for this study were taken at two distinct points on an avenue with intense vehicle traffic, for time periods of 10, 15 and 30 min. The statistical analysis indicated that a measurement time of 10 min was adequate for the Environmental Impact Assessment. A linear regression yielded regression coefficients of 0.94 and 0.97 for the two measured points, indicating that triplicate measures are unnecessary for the noise measurements of this case study. Maps were created with 10x10 m, 15x15 m, 20x20 m, and 30x30 m grids in order to determine the best grid spacing for the noise map of this study. The results indicated that a grid size of 10x10 m is the most representative, since the area under evaluation is located in a densely populated region.
Research Interests:
The aim this study is to characterize sound pollution in the south section of the Green Line and surroundings, in the city of Curitiba, Paraná. For this purpose objective data have been collected through noise measurements and noise... more
The aim this study is to characterize sound pollution in the south section of the Green Line and surroundings, in the city of Curitiba, Paraná. For this purpose objective data have been collected through noise measurements and noise mapping, as well as subjective data, through structured interviews with a sample of dwellers of the study area, which led to a noise perception study. The statistical analysis of the objective data (frequency analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient) showed that the south section of the Green Line and part of the surrounding streets are noise polluted. Furthermore there is a strong correlation between the noise level pressure and the following variables: motorcycle flow, vehicle speed, car flow and the total vehicle flow. The noise mapping showed that the façades of the dwellings in the noise polluted streets are affected by a noise pressure of over 70 dB(A). As for the statistical analysis of the subjective data (Pearson, Spearman, V of Cramer corre...
O YAN é uma rede de jovens acústicos cooperativa e voluntária. O objetivo é disseminar conhecimento e promover a acústica e áreas correlatas no Brasil e no mundo. Este encarte apresenta a iniciativa, um breve histórico (no Brasil e fora... more
O YAN é uma rede de jovens acústicos cooperativa e voluntária. O objetivo é disseminar conhecimento e promover a acústica e áreas correlatas no Brasil e no mundo. Este encarte apresenta a iniciativa, um breve histórico (no Brasil e fora dele), assim como um pequeno relato de atividades. Ao final, é apresentado como um jovem pode participar e cooperar, aclarando como começar e quais são as responsabilidades. Esperamos que seja a ignição de sua participação.