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Noise-disrupting fountains? Belgian cities are leading the world in anti-noise pollution urban strategy

2023-11-10T13:26:00-05:00

Noise pollution often underestimated but significantly impacting our lives, has become a pressing concern in major cities worldwide. From the bustling streets of Brussels to the vibrant ambience of Paris, urban dwellers are increasingly raising their voices against incessant noise.

Exposure to noise pollution above an annual average of 53 decibels has been shown to shorten lifespans for city dwellers. Brussels, where 70% of residents are at-risk, has begun experimenting with pleasing “soundscapes” among other, more practical interventions that include lower speed limits, added greenways, and pedestrianization strategies. Antwerp is also planning to test out a new “noise-disrupting fountains” concept this spring. Ghent, finally, is attempting to limit maximum facade noise to 65 decibels using a combination of traffic reduction and improvements to road surfaces.

The "anti-noise control window" is designed to stop urban sound pollution in its tracks

2020-07-15T15:42:00-04:00

The system uses a microphone outside the window to detect the repeating sound waves of the offending noise source, which is registered by a computer controller. That in turn deciphers the proper wave frequency needed to neutralize the sound, which is transmitted to the array of speakers on the inside of the window frame.

A team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore led by Masaharu Nishimura and Bhan Lam have developed a prototype approach that can decrease the amount of urban noise that infiltrates a dwelling.

The grid of circular speakers is installed within the open window frame and filters out constant sounds of a certain frequency. It has yet to be perfected to block out sporadic and low-pitched sounds, however.

What if construction site noise could be turned into a dance mix?

2019-09-09T12:29:00-04:00

Let's face it, construction noise isn't the most pleasant sounding thing. However, it's a vital part of the design process when working on a project. But what if the loud beeping of cranes and other bothersome acoustic noise could be turned into rhythmic music?

Thanks to Reddit users like fridafluff, keen listeners might consider giving construction site sounds a second chance if they take the form of catchy beats.

This has been waking me up every day for the last couple of weeks from r/SoundsLikeMusic Construction site next door changed to an even better beat. Sample this! from r/SoundsLikeMusic

fridafluff's response from fellow Redditors was so popular that she decided to post her own version of Swedish hip-hop artist Fronda's "Rullar Fram," as well.

Someone actually asked for the whole song!? Well I gave it a shot from r/SoundsLikeMusic