Promoting the Qualities of Soundscape in Urban Open Public Spaces; Using Urban Design Guidelines

Sound as a non-physical component of urban vision, plays an important role in the quality of the urban environment and it is often neglected by urban designers. In fact, urban designers can accede the goal of promoting the quality of the urban environments by improvement quality of the soundscape in cities. Designing, based on the soundscape can be investigated in two different aspects: first approach is often pursuing reduction in noise and consequently the increment in sound welfare. Whilst, the latter emphasize on promotion of personal experience quality by using sound-based designs, several issues can arise such as improving the sound legibility in urban environments, attraction and direction of the persons directed attention to specific part and layers of the urban environment, and etc. The first approach is used in this study by using of the literature in the soundscape domain, has tried to distinguish its role in promoting urban environments. Hence, in addition to explanation of the relation between city’s soundscape and urban design, design guidelines of the soundscape are provided in three levels: urban neighborhoods, squares, and streets.

Keywords:

Urban Design , Soundscape , Environment , Design Guidelines