A socio-cultural perspective of sound and location perception: A case study in Aachen, Germany

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2020-05, Vol.717, p.137147-137147, Article 137147
• Main Authors: Engel, Margret Sibylle, Fels, Janina, Pfaffenbach, Carmella
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Auditory Perception; Cities; Cluster Analysis; Culture; Data Collection; Germany; Humans; Noise; Socio-cultural; Sound; Soundscape; Users' profile
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137147

This study aim is to understand the socio-cultural aspects of urban soundscapes through the users' profile. A systemic overview of the urban environment realized with questions related to location, soundscape, noise control perception and soundscape wish from three study areas in Aachen, Germany. To achieve this aim, subjective responses collected through soundwalks with invited participants (90 participants evaluated three spots generating 270 evaluations). Furthermore, interviews with residents and workers (97 participants) will be analysed with the use of a Two-Step Cluster Analysis in five steps, which analysed in each step clusters resulted from the four investigated topics and summarised in the fifth step, a user's profile. The main findings showed that residents and soundwalks participants have different priorities related to the location and sonic environment, which could influence socio-cultural aspects such as nationality, time and motivation for the participants live in the investigated area or the city of Aachen. •Sociocultural factors are a combination aspects human in their habits, traditions, and beliefs.•Cluster analysis helps in the stratification of subject's opinion and physical data into groups.•Identifying sociocultural aspects over walks is relevant to integrate urban health and planning.