Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys

Public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic provided researchers with a quasi-experimental situation to examine what happens when anthropogenic noise sources (e.g., traffic) are greatly reduced. This article combines noise-related calls to Montreal’s 311 service (29,891 calls from 2014 to 20...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Trudeau Christopher, Tarlao Cynthia, Guastavino Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2023-07-01
Series:Noise Mapping
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/noise-2022-0169
_version_ 1797362083388456960
author Trudeau Christopher
Tarlao Cynthia
Guastavino Catherine
author_facet Trudeau Christopher
Tarlao Cynthia
Guastavino Catherine
author_sort Trudeau Christopher
collection DOAJ
description Public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic provided researchers with a quasi-experimental situation to examine what happens when anthropogenic noise sources (e.g., traffic) are greatly reduced. This article combines noise-related calls to Montreal’s 311 service (29,891 calls from 2014 to 2022) with original survey data from 240 residents collected in 2020 after the lockdown and the summer reopening. The spatial analysis of the calls revealed that, across all pandemic phases, noise complaints increased with population density, the proportion of low-income residents, and the proportion of greenspace. However, the change in the spatial distribution of noise-related calls due to the pandemic measures is positively associated with the proportions of residential and greenspace land use. That is, areas with higher proportions of residential land use and greenspace experienced the greatest increase in noise-related calls. The analysis of the survey revealed that the sounds of traffic and construction decreased during both the lockdown and the subsequent reopening, while the sounds of the neighborhood and nature increased. However, the decreased traffic noise in the downtown core also allowed for the emergence of noise from the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the area. We discuss these results considering the interest in reducing noise levels in cities.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T16:03:28Z
format Article
id doaj.art-557dd7877f9947f7afd5a32bacd42019
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2084-879X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T16:03:28Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher De Gruyter
record_format Article
series Noise Mapping
spelling doaj.art-557dd7877f9947f7afd5a32bacd420192024-01-08T09:53:55ZengDe GruyterNoise Mapping2084-879X2023-07-011011024693410.1515/noise-2022-0169Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveysTrudeau Christopher0Tarlao Cynthia1Guastavino Catherine2School of Information Studies, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaSchool of Information Studies, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaSchool of Information Studies, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaPublic health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic provided researchers with a quasi-experimental situation to examine what happens when anthropogenic noise sources (e.g., traffic) are greatly reduced. This article combines noise-related calls to Montreal’s 311 service (29,891 calls from 2014 to 2022) with original survey data from 240 residents collected in 2020 after the lockdown and the summer reopening. The spatial analysis of the calls revealed that, across all pandemic phases, noise complaints increased with population density, the proportion of low-income residents, and the proportion of greenspace. However, the change in the spatial distribution of noise-related calls due to the pandemic measures is positively associated with the proportions of residential and greenspace land use. That is, areas with higher proportions of residential land use and greenspace experienced the greatest increase in noise-related calls. The analysis of the survey revealed that the sounds of traffic and construction decreased during both the lockdown and the subsequent reopening, while the sounds of the neighborhood and nature increased. However, the decreased traffic noise in the downtown core also allowed for the emergence of noise from the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the area. We discuss these results considering the interest in reducing noise levels in cities.https://doi.org/10.1515/noise-2022-0169noisesoundspatial analysislockdownurban area
spellingShingle Trudeau Christopher
Tarlao Cynthia
Guastavino Catherine
Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
Noise Mapping
noise
sound
spatial analysis
lockdown
urban area
title Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
title_full Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
title_fullStr Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
title_full_unstemmed Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
title_short Montreal soundscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents’ surveys
title_sort montreal soundscapes during the covid 19 pandemic a spatial analysis of noise complaints and residents surveys
topic noise
sound
spatial analysis
lockdown
urban area
url https://doi.org/10.1515/noise-2022-0169
work_keys_str_mv AT trudeauchristopher montrealsoundscapesduringthecovid19pandemicaspatialanalysisofnoisecomplaintsandresidentssurveys
AT tarlaocynthia montrealsoundscapesduringthecovid19pandemicaspatialanalysisofnoisecomplaintsandresidentssurveys
AT guastavinocatherine montrealsoundscapesduringthecovid19pandemicaspatialanalysisofnoisecomplaintsandresidentssurveys