Evaluating the perceived affective qualities of urban soundscapes through audiovisual experiments

Carvalho, Maria Luiza de Ulhôa; Engel, Margret Sibylle; Fazenda, Bruno M.; Davies, William J.

Abstract

The study of the perceived affective qualities (PAQs) in soundscape assessments have increased in recent years, with methods varying from in-situ to laboratory. Through technological advances, virtual reality (VR) has facilitated evaluations of multiple locations in the same experiment. In this paper, VR reproductions of different urban sites were presented in an online and laboratory environment testing three locations in Greater Manchester (‘Park’, ‘Plaza’, and pedestrian ‘Street’) in two population densities (empty and busy) using ISO/TS 12913–2 (2018) soundscape PAQs. The studied areas had audio and video recordings prepared for 360 video and binaural audio VR reproductions. The aims were to observe population density effects within locations (Wilcoxon test) and variations between locations (Mann-Whitney U test) within methods. Population density and comparisons among locations demonstrated a significant effect on most PAQs. Results also suggested that big cities can present homogenous sounds, composing a ‘blended’ urban soundscape, independently of functionality. These findings can support urban design in a low-cost approach, where urban planners can test different scenarios and interventions.

Citation

Carvalho, M. L. D. U., Engel, M. S., Fazenda, B. M., & Davies, W. J. (in press). Evaluating the perceived affective qualities of urban soundscapes through audiovisual experiments. PloS one, 19(9), Article e0306261. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306261

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 13, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 5, 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 19, 2024
• Journal: PLOS ONE
• Print ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: e0306261
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306261