Noise abatement in
European towns and cities
|
A survey of standards, assessment, planning and implementation of noise abatement in European towns and cities
Christian Popp
During the preparatory phase of this project the
European Academy of the Urban Environment (EA.UE) carried
out a research study on noise abatement planning in
European municipalities to give an overview of the
situation and activities. For this purpose a
questionnaire was sent to selected European towns and
cities. In addition every local authority in Land
Brandenburg which has realised noise abatement planning
or is in the process of implementation received the
questionnaire.
In total, there were 31 responses from European local
authorities which also included some German
municipalities and 26 from local authorities in
Brandenburg which were analysed.
The analysis was carried out according to the following
criteria
· ranking according to the significance of noise
sources, which in addition was related to ranking this
result to the number of inhabitants in each city
· assessment of noise exposure
· evaluation of noise exposure
· implementation of noise abatement measures
· difficulties of implementation and acceptance of the
measures
A statistical analysis of noise abatement measures was
not possible as due to the diversity of approaches the
results would not have been useful.
Results
In the statistical analysis of the completed
questionnaires, Europe and Brandenburg were dealt with
separately. The following results were found.
Ranking according to the significance of noise sources
| Noise source | Europe | Brandenburg |
| road traffic | 1 | 1 |
| rail transport | 2 | 2 |
| industry/commerce | 3 | 3 |
| air traffic | 4 | 5 |
| sport and leisure activities | 5 | 4 |
| neighbours | 6 | 6 |
| construction activities | 6 | 7 |
Table 1: Ranking according to the significance of
noise sources, which in addition was related to the
number of inhabitants in each town or city; cp. Appendix,
Table 1+2
Evaluation comment
These findings are similar to those made by other
research activity and surveys, e.g. the German Federal
Environmental Agency data on the annoyance to inhabitants
by noise (Daten zur Belästigung der Bevölkerung
durch Lärm). There are indications, however, that
sport and leisure activities as a source of noise
pollution are becoming more significant.
Assessment of noise exposure
| Criteria | Europe | Brandenburg |
| noise level indicator | mostly Leq | mostly Leq |
| ways of determining noise levels | mostly measuring and calculating | road traffic and rail are
calculated, industry is measured and calculated |
| calculation of noise propagation | no consensus | unlimited and detailed calculation of propagation; attenuation by buildings at a height of about 4m based mostly on a 10 m2 grid |
| superimposing of noise levels from different kinds of sources | no consensus, but in most cases no superimposing | usually for road and rail traffic |
Table 2: Assessment of noise exposure; cp.
Appendix, Table 3
Evaluation comment
The findings for Europe vary so considerably as to make a
clear statement on this issue problematic. Thus this
topic should be investigated in more detail, for example
by the European Commission working group on noise
mapping.
Evaluation of noise exposure
| Criteria | Europe | Brandenburg |
| basis of data | data generally based
on local authority maps, maps of traffic density, data from factories and companies; aerial photographs very rarely used |
|
| threshold values | threshold values
used are comparable; however, the assessment time periods differ |
|
| representation of results | road traffic: noise maps, number of persons affected by noise; rail and industry: individual locations | road traffic and rail: noise
maps and number of persons affected by noise; industry: individual locations |
| filed (for later reference) | data obtained is generally filed | only about 40 % of local
authorities file the data obtained |
Table 3: Evaluation of noise exposure; cp.
Appendix, Table 4
Evaluation comment
The threshold values used are in pleasingly close
relation. Too little use is made of aerial photographs.
Noise maps are increasingly underpinned by figures on the
number of persons affected by noise. The data obtained
is, in Brandenburg at least, too infrequently filed.
Implementation of noise abatement measures
| Criteria | Europe | Brandenburg |
| methods of proceeding | preference given to
city-wide concepts, mainly focused on road traffic noise |
|
| evaluation of measures implemented | measurements and calculations of before / after situation are carried out twice as often compared with public surveys | mainly calculations of before / after situation; measurements and public surveys play a less important part |
| criteria for implementation | priority on noise
levels and numbers of persons affected; cost / benefit aspects of less importance |
|
| funding from national government | less than half the local authorities receive funds from national sources | almost every local authority in Brandenburg received funds from the regional government |
| legislation | noise abatement plans are legally binding instruments in less than half of the local authorities surveyed | |
Table 4: Implementation of noise abatement
measures; cp. Appendix, Table 5
Evaluation comment
In Brandenburg the noise abatement planning process was
funded to a major extent by the regional government;
nevertheless, regrettably, this instrument is rarely
legally binding in Brandenburg local authorities or in
other European towns and cities surveyed.
Difficulties in implementing noise abatement measures
Criteria |
Europe |
Brandenburg |
difficulties in implementation |
financing for measures is a major problem, also lack of legislation and lack of interest on the part of decision makers |
financing measures is a major problem, also lack of action by relevant authorities |
acceptance |
acceptance at political and local administrative level, by environmental groups and those affected by noise is not very great |
high level of acceptance at political and local administrative levels; acceptance by environmental groups and those affected by noise not as great |
Table 5: Difficulties in implementing noise
abatement measures; cp. Appendix, Table 5
Evaluation comment
Retail businesses and manufacturers generally adopt a
negative stance if noise abatement planning is at issue.
In Brandenburg political and local administrative levels
are comparatively more aware and adopt a positive
attitude towards noise abatement planning.
Evaluation of the completed questionnaires may be
summarised as follows
· ranking of noise sources in all the European
municipalities surveyed is generally similar;
· in almost every municipality noise exposure is
indicated by Leq;
· noise levels are both calculated and measured in most
cases.
· in the municipalities surveyed, exposure to road
traffic and rail transport noise is predominantly
presented by producing noise maps and by figures for
number of persons affected by noise. Noise exposure due
to light industrial and industrial premises is usually
shown as individual locations;
· noise abatement measures for road traffic are mainly
planned in terms of city-wide concepts;
· less than half the European local authorities surveyed
received funding support from the state in undertaking
noise abatement planning;
· a noise abatement plan is legally binding in less than
50% of the municipalities surveyed;
· the main difficulties in implementation of noise
abatement measures are judged to be finance; also absence
of legislation support and lack of interest on the part
of decision makers;
· acceptance of noise abatement planning by local
politicians and in local government as well as by
environmental groups and those affected by noise is not
very great.
Particularly this final point demonstrates that, in terms
of awareness and acceptance of noise abatement, there
needs to be much more public communication in order to
ensure noise abatement planning has the far higher rank
on environmental and political agendas in Europe which
would be commensurate with the scale of noise exposure.