Merel Ursem
Research Master Urban Studies
Graduate School of Social Sciences
Universiteit van Amsterdam
MSc thesis - Sound and the City
Experiences of Urban Sound and Quietness in Amsterdam
This study aims to provide a complementary and deeper qualitative understanding of the experience of urban sound and quietness, by answering the research question “how are urban sound and quietness defined, experienced and valuated by urban residents and how are those experiences linked to the context of perception?”.
For this research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 Amsterdam residents from two city districts; Centrum and Nieuw West. In these interviews, it was found that quietness is a polysemantic and ambiguous concept which can be interpreted in different and holistic ways. Quietness is often understood a) in relation to silence, b) as an acoustic environment or a holistic sensorial experience, and c) as a setting, state of mind or atmosphere that relates to calmness and tranquillity. In terms of acoustics, quietness is not the absence of sound, but rather the absence of noise, which is understood as the opposite of quietness. The value of quietness and the need for it was often expressed implicitly by urban residents, largely depending on personal preferences and needs, environmental circumstances, and levels of sound sovereignty.
These findings also show that the experience of urban sound and quietness cannot be decontextualised, as it is informed by the place, time and social setting in which it is perceived. The pleasantness of the urban acoustic environment is judged largely on the appropriateness of sound for a given place and time. But it not only matters where or when sounds are perceived, also who produces those sounds. The evaluation of sound can thus be a useful indicator for quality of social relations in the city, feeling at home, sense of belonging, conflict, and harmony. Overall, The changes in the soundscape of Amsterdam during the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed and emphasised the importance of acoustic environments and quietness for our health, wellbeing, and happiness in the city.