Conclusions: priorities for managing and implementing noise abatement planning at local level

Christoph Rau *

These conclusions derive from a survey on noise abatement policies conducted in more than 30 selected European towns and cities, based on which a conference entitled "Noise abatement in European towns and cities" was structured. The findings of both the survey and the conference form the basis of the priorities summarised in the following sections, as part of on-going discussions on how to implement noise abatement planning in cities.

The towns and cities whose activities are reviewed and described vary considerably in size and structure, thus forming a heterogeneous set, from towns with a population of 30,000 - Houten in the Netherlands - to major cities of 3.6 million inhabitants - Berlin in Germany. Nevertheless, the problems encountered when launching noise abatement policy at local level are similar to a certain extent as they appear to differ in scale rather than in the key issue.

Many initiatives have been launched to develop strategies for noise abatement, most of them selecting approaches which cover the entire area of a city or even a region. Three types of concepts were identified during the project:
· more global strategies, ranging from noise policy in the traffic and transport sector to insulation from noise in interiors of buildings, applied in Brussels Region and some French cities;
· strategy focusing more on technical solutions to reduce for road traffic noise along main routes including land use planning, e.g. in Denmark;
· strategies focused more on planning such as the integration of land use and traffic and transport policies, as applied in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.

Despite these differences, the outcome of the project showed that the most significant source of noise is road traffic, followed by rail transport, commercial / industrial premises, air traffic, sport / leisure activities. Different ways of trying to assess and solve these noise problems, however, have been evolving. The focus will therefore be primarily on road traffic, as this is the issue which many local authorities in Europe are tackling or starting to deal with.
The points made in this chapter are of a more general nature due to the heterogeneous group of towns and cities, but the findings are applicable, with adjustments according to local demands and needs, to other municipalities as well.
Three distinct issues will be important for policies in noise abatement planning at local level:

· setting a framework for noise abatement policy at local level
· putting into action strategies for noise abatement successfully
· raising awareness and public participation in the process of noise abatement planning


Setting a framework for noise abatement policies at local level

Cities getting engaged in noise abatement strategies often encounter lack of support in launching their initiatives as there may be a lack of legislation or information or examples of implementation which emphasise the urgency for action. As a result, municipalities are sometimes hindered in putting into action the existing ideas.
Thus it appears that crucial elements in bringing about a framework for more action at the local level are:
· harmonising standards in the process of noise abatement planning at EU level
· building supportive structures for noise abatement planning at national and / or regional level
Harmonising standards in the process of noise abatement planning at EU level

On-going activities in the European Commission in the field of noise policy will strengthen the current activities and support, in the long-term, initiation of new activities in the field of noise abatement at local level. Harmonisation of standards concerning indicators, dose effects, threshold values, of methodology of assessment by measurement, computation and noise mapping as well as abatement measures would, via national regulations, facilitate municipalities in identifying their potential in a range of ways to manage noise abatement planning.

The following points in particular refer to aspects which appear to be very relevant issues for municipalities:
· in establishing exposure levels, the equivalent continuous sound pressure level (LA,eq) during the day and at night should be considered, as this is being used widely in Europe by engineers, planners and legal experts. However, it may be thought that this is only a physical value for measurement and prediction of noise annoyance, which comprises only about 30 to 40 per cent of the rather subjective nature of noise. In addition, social aspects should be taken into account according to local demands and needs;
· in assessing current noise situations, measurement and calculation have been used in the past, but calculation may become more relevant, as predicting noise situations will be essential to decide on the strategy which is to be to implemented;
· to evaluate noise exposure in urban areas, targets should be established to avoid possible health risks for inhabitants as indicated below:
LA,eq = 65&nbspdB, according to the World Health Organisation
LA,eq = 70&nbspdB, to identify 'black spots', according to this project's findings
During the day these values should not be exceeded in front of residential buildings, and at night in a city they should be 10&nbspdB lower. The overall aim should be that these values are not exceeded in the near future, to avoid further deterioration of the quality of the urban environment;
· in addition, criteria for quality should be defined and established. They should be fixed in relation to different functions and / or mixture in land use, such as residential, commercial or recreational areas, but the regulations should preferably be designated in detail at national level;
· furthermore, details of numbers of people exposed should become an integral part of noise mapping to supplement the maps themselves. Thus the current situation and possible or actual improvements can be better represented, and effects of strategies to be sought made clearer. These effects should also be expressed in words (e.g. less disturbance; more disturbance; no change). In such a way conflict plans may be replaced by details of the numbers of people exposed.

Building supportive structures for noise abatement planning at national and / or regional level

It must be kept in mind that support for action in the field of noise abatement planning by national or regional authorities varies considerably, ranging from concise programmes to little financial or no support at all. It therefore seems to be essential to build a supportive and financial framework which launches noise policy at local level by facilitating municipalities' decisions to initiate noise abatement planning. Consequently, it appears that higher authorities have a key role in starting off noise abatement planning on a much broader base, and it would be helpful to develop a supportive and financial framework for cities and towns. The following three elements seem to be relevant to well grounded policy making at local level:
· concerted plan of action at national and / or regional level
· supporting and financing activities for noise abatement planning at municipal level
· establishing information and documentation systems


Concerted plan of action at national and / or regional level

As cities often face lack of political, financial and legal support, national and / or regional policy makers should establish ways to bring noise abatement planning on to the agenda, in order to demonstrate the political will to deal with this rather complex issue.
For a concerted plan of action the relevant actors should jointly decide upon a policy and on how to realise projects and measures in the context of noise abatement. Such an approach should target:
· integrating noise abatement planning into other policy fields at local level
· combining funding from various sources, and pooling them to make funds available to cities for measures
· overcoming sectoral approaches towards noise abatement
· structuring, coordinating and evaluating assessment and implementation of noise abatement strategies
· testing varying approaches, strategies and concepts
· giving legislative support by modification of existing laws and regulations in realising noise abatement planning at local level

The advantages are that an integrated and comprehensive strategy would assist in implementing, financing and evaluating noise abatement measures and contribute towards facilitating decision making at local level. In addition, funds from the European level could also be combined with these initiatives to make funding available to municipalities. Consequently, there is also a need to decide which of the actors involved may take on overall control and coordination of a concerted plan of action.


Supporting and financing activities for noise abatement planning at municipal level

One has to keep in mind that the primary aim of noise abatement strategy should be to put planning into action. Thus the primary concern is implementation of measures in order to bring about improvements for the benefit of inhabitants in the cities and towns. To achieve this, based on the concerted plan of action, supportive structures should be established and financial resources pooled.

In a comprehensive and integrated strategy of noise abatement planning, the approaches used most often appear to be:
· initiating pilot projects
· assisting in assessment of noise exposure and noise mapping
· making available funds for measures



Initiating pilot projects

A first step to be considered is setting up pilot projects which can provide relevant findings to form a supportive framework for noise abatement planning strategy at national and / or regional level.
It seems an appropriate and promising approach to select specific cities and towns for pilot projects which are, in a national and regional context, somewhat typical, in terms of size and urban structure. This may help to:
· set up model projects exemplifying different approaches
· identify how to initiate noise abatement planning
· evaluate which strategies may or may not work when implementing noise abatement planning
· form or modify standards for assessment, computation and calculation
· develop essential elements in noise abatement planning
· put forward examples for other cities and towns
· influence legislation in the field of noise abatement policies

Experience gained in model projects as described may form the basis for further action, thus starting a process of noise abatement action with a larger number of cities.

Assisting in assessment of noise exposure and noise mapping

The lessons learned in pilot projects as described above should be provided to those cities interested in starting noise abatement. To build a supportive framework this know-how, e.g. simplified methods to assess noise exposure, calculation and computation in noise mapping, could be made available to local authorities via organisations in the environmental field, such as environmental agencies at national and / or regional level.
Consequently, this approach would relieve the local authority level of these tasks, which would help them to:
· accelerate the process of noise abatement in cities and towns
· minimise costs for assessment and noise mapping
· test new methods and standards for assessment
· focus on the implementation phase
· save funds for the realisation of measures
· provide information comprehensible both to experts and non-experts

The advantage of external expertise may help local authorities in smaller towns and cities in particular, as their capacities in terms of personnel and funds are rather limited. In addition, discussions with political decision makers may be facilitated if external experience and expertise is brought in.

Making funds available

Financing noise abatement planning programmes at national or regional level can be shaped by different ways of funding. When launching such a programme, it is relevant to consider the duration of the programme, as from the initial start to first implementation of measures the time which elapses may be at least one and a half to two years, depending on the size of the municipality. In general, 2 to 4 years seems to be an adequate period of time in which to establish and implement noise abatement planning in a way which brings about actual improvements for the population; in some cases this may extend over more than 10 years.

The following ways of financing seem to be the most common from the experiences gained in different countries:
· combining existing funds is a very promising strategy to design a budget from a range of financial sources, particularly national and regional sources. For this, existing budget lines and programmes at national or regional level should be reviewed to identify where money is available which is relevant for noise abatement measures (e.g. renewal and / or maintenance work on roads). These funds may then be supplemented with funds from European programmes, e.g. if noise abatement is integrated into a scheme for urban renewal;
· direct financial contributions by national or regional funds from special or existing budget lines to initiate and / or implement a local noise abatement project. Generally the financial support could be around 50 per cent, under certain conditions 75 per cent of a project may be funded;
· pilot projects are other devices for funding. In particular cases 100 per cent funding may be appropriate, e.g. to establish standards for calculation and computation programmes;
· initial funding may be appropriate for projects if there is already experience gained by pilot projects. This may include e.g. the funding of noise assessment and noise mapping, but not measures or awareness raising to put the issue of noise on to the political agenda.

In principle, all forms of funding should always include finance for awareness raising and public participation for each individual project which, depending on the strategy, can be estimated to comprise up to 30 per cent of a total budget. In addition, it also seems advisable to include money for overall evaluation of the project and dissemination of the results.


Establishing information and documentation

It may, therefore, be helpful to establish agencies at national and / or regional level which provide information and documentation for enquiries about noise abatement planning in general. Such an organisation should primarily disseminate and exchange information about activities, projects and addresses of other organisations in the field. But starting and coordinating initiatives, e.g. awareness raising campaigns, pilot projects etc., would be another important field of activity for such an institution.

Results and experiences thus disseminated may help to draw more general conclusions concerning:
· the level of noise which is not to be exceeded
· methodologies for assessment, computation and noise mapping
· noise exposure levels of inhabitants
· main source(s) of noise
· priorities for successful implementation of measures

These findings then may set a framework which should be adapted to local needs and demands to set objectives and priorities for noise abatement planning.
Such institutions could be integrated into existing governmental bodies such as environmental agencies which very often exist at national and / or regional level; it seems, however, even better to establish an independent organisation as this would pinpoint the relevancy of noise policies.


Putting into action strategies for noise abatement planning successfully

From the experience gained it appears that municipalities can initiate their own noise abatement planning policy. Consequently, cities decide to introduce noise abatement planning, funded by themselves or with support from national and / or regional funds or programmes. The crucial point is that noise abatement as a general rule needs to be realised in the existing, dense urban structures which makes it difficult to implement measures.
However, there is an on-going process in many towns and cities to test and modify the scope for action in the fight against urban noise pollution. Primary issues for the implementation of a successful noise abatement strategy on which to focus should include:
· initiating, forming and structuring the process of a noise policy within the local administration structures
· assessing the noise situation in the urban environment
· implementing measures for noise abatement planning


Initiating, forming and structuring the process of a noise policy within the local administration structures

The following crucial questions may give a brief outline of areas to be considered in raising the issue of noise abatement planning within local authority administrations, when initiating, structuring and implementing noise abatement policy is to be placed on the agenda:
· which departments will be involve most in this process - civil / traffic engineering, town planning or environmental services departments?
· what data is already available for noise assessment purposes; how complete / reliable is it?
· where are funds allocated which may be suitable for the implementation of measures?
· are there any other funds available from internal and / or external sources such as fees or charges?
· which department will be in charge of overall control and responsibility for the noise abatement project?
· how can political support for noise abatement be ensured?
· how will local politicians / the municipal government be involved in the project?
· are projects already planned (e.g. renewal and /or maintenance work on roads relevant for noise abatement) which may lend themselves to incorporating noise abatement measures?
· are working groups and a steering committee to be established?
· will external expertise be necessary for the project?
· which activities have been planned without being seen in the context of noise abatement?
· will survey(s) of residents and / or calculations of 'before' and 'after' situations be carried out?
· will a special unit be established in a department to manage communication with the public (e.g. to deal with complaints, comments and proposals, to manage campaigns)?

Hopefully these questions will contribute to on-going discussions on how municipalities can become involved, even without the support of special programmes, as they refer to the most critical issues which, once clarified, can ensure successful implementation: tapping internal and external financing sources, achieving cost effectiveness, obtaining political support for the successful implementation of noise abatement strategy.


Assessing the noise situation in the urban environment

Assessment of the noise situation is currently undertaken by means of measurement, calculation, computation and mapping of the noise situation, to evaluate current noise levels and exposure and to make predictions for future developments.

In order to assess, analyse and discuss different alternatives concerning measures to be realised, the following central issues or tools should be considered in assessing the noise situation:
· calculation and computation of noise exposure, which will become more common in the future as an instrument of prediction than it already is at present;
· geographical information systems facilitate the production of digital city maps, provide better access to significant data such as aerial maps; maps of traffic density and recent data and developments in the urban and building structure etc. which allow experts to adapt and update calculation and computational processes; filing and updating assessment data and calculation results will be facilitated;
· 'inexpensive' noise mapping, which could present noise propagation in three different degrees, based on the needs and demands of the local situation:
- 'coarse' level of detail: calculations include only the effects of unimpeded sound propagation. Noise maps produced on this scale contain sufficient information for city-wide concepts;
- 'average' level of detail: calculations include structures in the vicinity of the noise source and the terrain, as well as surfaces which also reduce noise through built structures in a wider radius from the noise source;
- 'fine' level of detail: calculations include structures in the vicinity of the noise source and the terrain, plus all the built structures with their location and height in the whole area under survey.
Both the latter forms permit a focus on particular areas and stretches of roads with high noise levels, to determine noise exposure in more detail. In such a way, municipalities can carry out their own noise assessment to adopt and integrate recent developments into their noise abasement strategy.

Primary noise sources and black spots should be identified by taking into consideration when exposure exceeds noise levels of more than 65&nbspdB(A) or 70&nbspdB(A) during the day, and in each case 10&nbspdB(A) lower at night:
· to determine the need for action, according to the urban structure and predominantly to existing use of the land;
· to discuss alternative scenarios for action based on a city-wide approach;
· to prioritise areas and measures according to feasibility of action;
· to schedule measures, according to urgency, for immediate, short, medium and long-term action.

Details of the numbers of persons exposed to noise appear to be an indispensable instrument to supplement noise maps representing noise situations.
The following aspects may be considered when assessing numbers of persons affected:
· persons with risk to health (as assessed during the day or night)
· persons whose sleep was disturbed (at night)
· persons exposed by day and at night
· persons exposed at night
· daytime noise factor (in layman's terms: number of persons exposed multiplied by the level by which existing national threshold values for daytime hours are exceeded)
· nighttime noise factor (in layman's terms: number of persons exposed multiplied by the level by which existing national threshold values for nighttime hours are exceeded.

When discussing and specifying alternative concepts and measures for noise abatement planning, the concept of the noise factor may be of great relevance, as this may help to:
· communicate better and more effectively findings of acoustical assessments to decision makers and to the public, to give greater transparency to the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives;
· find corresponding terms to express noise levels in other terms, rather than in dB(A), as number of persons exposed as well as in descriptive terms such as 'little', 'considerable', 'significant'.

Implementing measures for noise abatement planning

When implementing measures for noise abatement, the most promising approach seems to be a city wide concept, which has the following major advantages:
· integrating noise abatement into existing policy for urban development, traffic and transport and land use
· determining the effects of all measures planned based on a comprehensive basis, minimising counter-productive effects
· estimating the duration in time in which to complete the strategy
· setting up a schedule for implementation of measures, such as immediate response, short, medium and long term perspectives
· deciding on priorities in the measures
· developing strategies for awareness raising and public participation
· identifying positive side effects, such as traffic calming, increased road safety for all road users

In the realisation of noise abatement strategies the following measures appear to be promising:
· step-by-step measures, which often include single measures in the course of on-going road maintenance and renewal work, such as introducing bus lanes, pedestrian islands, narrowing roads etc. Thus the actions become integral parts of the noise abatement project in so far as they are relevant; even though some of the measures may be realised in a medium or long term perspective;
· immediate measures, which may include single actions to make changes 'visible', such as enforcing speed limits in black spots or re-routing goods vehicles to lower the noise level immediately, e.g. during night hours;
· sets of measures, such as re-designing roads, traffic calming measures and visual narrowing of roads by planting trees in a particular area, or combinations of measures, to make the changes obvious to residents;
· dissemination of and information about work in progress and schedule of measures planned;
· promoting alternative and environmentally compatible modes of transport such as walking, cycling and using public transport;
· evaluation of 'before' and 'after' situations by measuring, calculating and / or by opinion polls of inhabitants as to whether or not their expectations were met.

Use of these instruments may contribute towards discussions on simplification of the process of noise mapping, as the conflict plan may not be necessary. Thus this approach may contribute in the search for ways to lower the costs of noise mapping. The time from assessment to the implementation of measures may also be shortened considerably. Noise mapping on a more detailed scale can be carried out if the chosen level is thought to be too broad in terms of degree of detail. Filing and use of data for further mapping are simplified. On-going discussions dealing with superimposition of multiple noise sources have not yet become specific, as regards the extent to which superimposition of different noise sources can be undertaken.


Raising awareness and public participation in the process of noise abatement planning

It is quite astounding that road traffic noise, on one hand the number one source of annoyance and disturbance in towns and cities, yet on the other hand does not meet very greatly with the interest of decision makers, the public and even environmental groups. One of the main reasons may be that the problem of noise is thought to be too complex, and seeking solutions seems to be too expensive and not very promising.
Due to these ambiguous attitudes, and the social, ecological and economic dimensions involved, it seems to be crucial to make clear to the public at large the importance of the issue and to communicate that there are instruments at hand such as noise abatement planning to improve current intolerable or noisy situations.
Efforts should therefore be directed towards a search to develop communication strategies for:
· campaigning for increased public awareness
· disseminating results and information on work in progress
· planning measures by incorporating public participation


Campaigning for increased public awareness

The responsibility for an awareness raising campaign should be taken on by the department in charge of coordinating and managing the overall municipal noise abatement policy. First steps towards raising awareness with respect to the subject of noise and, at the same time, introducing the municipal noise abatement policy could be, amongst others, by means of the following activities:
· posters
· features in newspapers, on radio and television
· activities with schoolchildren
· telephone hot line to the complaints department or unit
· survey on the public's opinions and expectations of noise abatement planning


Among the primary objectives of such a campaign should be:
· sensitising the public towards the issue of noise and noise abatement
· communicating and conveying the aims and on-going activities of the noise abatement planning strategy
· taking on board complaints from the public about noise
· explaining the long-term perspective of the policy
· giving examples on how every individual can contribute to a less noisy environment
· in addition, raising awareness of the issue of noise and noise abatement may help to move forward decision makers towards action which they may be rather reluctant to take on this topic


Disseminating results and information about work in progress

Dissemination of information is another key element in awareness raising. This should include publication and distribution of information by varying means. For better communication the material should be presented in such a way that specialist terms are avoided where possible or explained in the material.

This kind of information will help to:
· present progress made in implementing measures
· disseminate findings of surveys of 'before' and 'after' situations
· publish polls about public opinion on the action taken
· maintain the public's awareness of the issue of noise
· present new technologies which may imply new approaches and solutions

The presentation could be done by means of:
· issuing a CD&nbspROM
· distributing noise maps and the plan of action to every household
· being present on the Internet
· mailing leaflets
· producing annual noise and / or environmental situation reports
· holding seminars, workshops and conferences


Planning measures by incorporating public participation

To integrate the public in the process of noise abatement planning, local authorities may seek to establish 'round tables' in conjunction with environmental groups and / or organising public hearings and presentations to involve the inhabitants actively. Addressing inhabitants directly and having them participate in this process will help to:
· discuss conflicting and controversial ideas publicly
· communicate positive effects to local people
· check whether priorities have been set correctly concerning the planned measures
· incorporate varying pressure groups with conflicting interests
· make use of people's interest in and commitment to improving their urban environment

All the issues described above should become a part of the entire strategy of noise abatement planning, as it is obvious that a high level of acceptance by citizens of the noise abatement strategies planned can be achieved only if the objectives set, the ideas proposed and concepts worked out will be conveyed to and discussed with the public.






Sustaining noise abatement planning at local level

As noise can be seen as a relevant indicator for the quality of urban life, it seems appropriate to include the issue of noise abatement planning in the Local Agenda 21 (LA&nbsp21) process which has already been initiated and established in many municipalities. However, the issue of noise policies has rarely been incorporated into this framework.


Integrating noise abatement planning into the LA 21 process

Thus, noise abatement planning needs to be integrated into LA&nbsp21. In the following sections a number of points will be raised in order to highlight similarities between both issues, and thus to underline this idea:
· firstly, noise abatement planning involves health, ecological, social and economic considerations and demands. The overall objective of both issues is, therefore, to contribute to sustainable urban development;
· secondly, due to the complexity of tasks, noise abatement planning requires a cross-sectoral approach. Particularly topics such as traffic and transport policy, land use management and urban development are closely interdependent. Thus, noise abatement planning requires an integrated and comprehensive strategy which is also the inherent principle of the LA 21 process;
· thirdly, it can be assumed that the actors involved in the LA 21 process would be very receptive with respect to environmental needs and demands in general. Thus anticipation and integration of noise abatement planning into LA 21 processes should be accomplished without difficulty;
· fourthly, awareness raising and public participation are part of both noise abatement planning and of LA 21, which is crucial to accomplish the objectives set and to realise the complex tasks involved;
· fifthly, due to budgetary constraints and scarce financial sources, the LA 21 process may provide opportunities to acquire funding for measures relevant for noise abatement planning or to include them within other LA&nbsp21 projects.

Consequently, only a combination of different instruments seems to ensure that local authorities will succeed with their mission to put into action and accomplish noise abatement policies successfully.
However, a comprehensive and integrated policy approach should include the following four basic elements to address the specific problems involved in this subject:
· simplified methods for assessment, computation and noise mapping
· a wide range of conventional and unconventional measures to be implemented
· combination of financial sources
· strategies for awareness raising, public participation and dissemination

One has to keep in mind that all local authorities are facing problems due to noise pollution; thus some towns and cities have been starting initiatives; others already have well-established and implemented strategies; some may still be struggling over how to define their approaches and concepts in more detail; yet others are not yet tackling the issue of noise abatement as they may neglect this issue due its complexity. Nevertheless, experience gained by some towns and cities indicate that there is a diversity of approaches, concepts and strategies at hand which hopefully will contribute to the on-going discussion, by furnishing examples, ideas and inspiration to start new projects or to modify existing strategies.


* Christian Popp of LÄRMKONTOR GmbH, scientific consultant to this project, kindly assisted with advice and comments.