Influence of vegetation on noise pollution and acoustic annoyance in outdoor urban spaces of São Paulo.

• Grant number: 21/02915-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date until: April 01, 2023
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Marques Monteiro
• Grantee: Nara Gabriela de Mesquita Peixoto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Outdoor spaces in Brazilian cities are exposed to high levels of noise from mechanical sources, which is known to cause damages to human health, such as vulnerability to anxiety and stress. However, acoustic perception could be affected by other factors beyond the noise levels, for example, social values, thermal comfort and people's relationship with the place. The objective of this research is to analyze the impact of the vegetation on noise levels and people's annoyance in outdoor public spaces. The hypothesis is that moderate to dense vegetative barriers reduces the noise discomfort, even when it does not cause an effective reduction in noise levels. As methodology, places will be chosen and grouped into classes to isolate the effects of traffic sources, buildings and vegetation cover. Mobile applications will be used to reach a wider range of analyzed locations and to obtain low-cost collaborative measurements. High precision sonometers will be used to calibrate and validate these results, and also to evaluate the real effect of sound attenuation due to the vegetative barriers. Subjective data will be collected through questionnaires in a mobile application and the answers will be linked to the GPS coordinates. The data will be synchronized and mapped using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which will allow spatial analysis relating physical and subjective aspects. As a result, it is expected to validate the collaborative mapping method and to obtain dose-response curves that could improve the understanding of acoustic perception. Thus, the study can contribute with urban planning and guidelines for acoustic comfort in outdoor public spaces.