The soundwalk as an operational component for urban design

ABSTRACT: In a previous paper, based on the case study of Place Paul Doumer, the hypothesis that urban soundscape contributes to the environmental quality of urban areas in the same way as microclimatic data does, was proposed. This paper now deals with the way in which soundscape analysis data could be used in urban design strategy. The concept of soundscape was developed in order to study the acoustic dimension of a site. It supplements traditional acoustic measurements, which only give a quantitative point of view; qualitative data is extracted from binaural audio re-cordings. The recordings were carried out several times per day for one week and are representative of sound ambiences on urban routes. The data are presented here in the form of acoustic images which correspond to time, frequency and sound level representation of the soundscape. As part of Silence Search Project, we will highlight the relationship between a site’s soundscape, use and ur-ban components. The aim of this study is to propose operational solutions to the urban designer so that he/she is able to carry out modifications in the city accordingly