Subjective and physiological responses to road traffic noise in an urban recreational area

The impact of transportation noise on human health has primarily been studied in the home environment, with the facade exposure level as a determinant. However, urban residents may travel, work and recreate outdoors during many hours of the day, and outdoor noise may affect their health and wellbeing. It is hypothesized that outdoor transportation noise may impair the restorative aspects of the outdoor environment. This hypothesis was tested in an urban park in the Netherlands, where 52 participants in total, matched by age and gender, were monitored during a walk either in an area with a high level of road traffic noise due to a nearby highway, or in a more quiet area further away from the highway. Noise exposure, heart rate and blood pressure were monitored during the walk, and subjective measures such as mood state and evaluation of the environment were assessed immediately after the walk. Preliminary findings are presented on the difference in both subjective and physiological measures between the two walking conditions. The results may have implications for urban planning, indicating the need for a restriction of transportation noise in outdoor urban recreational areas