Sound Quality in Urban Environments and its Relationship With Acoustic Parameters

Different urban environments were analyzed acoustically using recordings obtained with binaural techniques of recording and reproduction. Measurements were carried out in different urban locations in Spain that possess a range of acoustical characteristics. The perception of pleasantness/unpleasantness as described by the inhabitants of these urban environments was examined in terms of its relationship with two psychoacoustic parameters (loudness and sharpness) as well as the traditional measures of equivalent sound level (dB and dBA). These relationships were analyzed using both a verbal and a numerical scale. Highly significant correlations were found between the perception of an environment and the acoustical parameters characterizing that environment.