The Sounds of Boston and Beyond: the Sonic Dimension of Cities

On Tuesday, September 10th, the Initiative on Cities hosted The Sounds of Boston and Beyond, a seminar that explored the development urban soundscapes and the impact they have on public health and community engagement.

The seminar was led by Erica Walker, Founder of Noise and the City and the Community Noise Lab at Boston University, Daniel Steele, a Visiting Fellow at the IOC and the Program Manager of Sounds in the City, and Edda Bild, a Soundscape Researcher who also comes from Sounds in the City. Prior to the seminar, Steele and Bild led a soundwalk across Boston to explore the various urban soundscapes that exist within the city and discuss the sound and noise implications of city planning.

Each presenter stressed that more stakeholders must be brought to the table to discuss soundscapes in urban planning. Engaging with community members and residents is a top priority in their projects, and they’re eager for city planners and non-city planners alike to start thinking more critically about the role of sound in an urban environment and how it can be designed to enhance urban life rather than harm human health.

Read a full summary of the event here.