Soundscape & land uses management as comprehensive environmental protection action policy tool within the strategic environmental noise mapping in Greece

Abstract

Environmental Noise Mapping, as per the relevant 2002/49/EC Directive, is an obligation of all European Union (EU) member states. In the framework of this action in Greece and Cyprus within the Action Noise Plans assessment and evaluation, various strategies aiming to reduce noise exposure of residents, introduce, and preserve "quite zones" were analyzed and proposed. In this framework, additional tools - apart the measurement and modelling of environmental noise levels - were introduced, as per qualitative surveys on the sound perception by the residents and several analyses of the urban and architectural tissue and also land use management action policy tools. For several urban agglomerations and international airports, selected urban areas were assessed, based on their proximity to transportation infrastructures (main road network, industrial harbour facilities and both regional and intercity train network) and also to the diversity of their urban typologies (residential district, downtown areas. Sociological surveys on sound and noise perception were also implemented using opened questionnaires. In this paper, we aim to assess and compare - for various cases in both countries - soundscape & land uses qualitative criteria analysis. This approach aims to evaluate their possible implementation as comprehensive Environmental Protection Action Policy Tools, within the 2002/49/EC directive, by developing interesting qualitative approaches to further manage and rehabilitate the sound comfort for the inhabitants, and therefore improving the built soundscape with emphasis to South-European countries where the style of life is strongly connected with open air activities.