Urban sound planning in the City Centre of Thessaloniki

Abstract

The Municipality of Thessaloniki has implemented a large program of public space rehabilitation in its city center that will welcome in the next years a brand new metro line. Within the framework of the strategic noise mapping and action planning (European noise directive 2002/49/EU), the municipality of Thessaloniki has engaged a pilot study on the sound quality of its historic center. Experts in acoustics, transportation, architecture, and town planning joined their efforts and methodologies with the aim of providing the designers with guidelines to improve the urban sound quality in the city center. To ensure the appropriate assessment and design tools for the city authorities to act for improving the sound identity of the test region, a number of specific maps have been drawn based on detailed local observations: (a) the urban typology map, (b) the map of predominant uses, (c) the map of sound identity characteristics, and (d) the sound territories map. These mapping databases together with quantitative noise measurements and predictions allowed an in-depth analysis of the acoustic character of the city areas, at a neighborhood scale. These data also facilitate the decision making in relation to city planning, namely regarding the management of sound sources, sound propagation conditions, urban forms, ground coverings, or social organization of the city. A comprehensive soundscape analysis was performed based on these tools leading to recommendations for urban sound improvement. Actions were defined based on results and conclusions, some being general for the whole central area, and others more specific to the particular site depending on the local character of the place and its planned uses.