Understanding perceived tranquility in urban Woonerf streets: case studies in two Dutch cities' into the community
Understanding perceived tranquility in urban Woonerf streets: case studies in two Dutch cities' into the community
Background: in an increasingly urbanised world, the demand for tranquil spaces is growing. Woonerf streets in the Netherlands exemplify a human-centred urban design, where pedestrian and vehicular movement coexist seamlessly, facilitated by a restricted speed limit of 15 km/h. While previous studies have relied on predictive models to assess tranquillity based on noise exposure and greenery levels (e.g., the Green View Index), urban environments involve diverse sound sources, each influencing human perception differently.
Methods: this study integrates objective sound measurements with subjective tranquillity assessments, considering eight perceptual attributes to capture the complexity of urban soundscapes. Data were collected from 61 Woonerf streets in Groningen and Leeuwarden, incorporating audio recordings, visual analysis, and resident questionnaires to evaluate the relationship between noise levels, environmental characteristics, and perceived tranquillity.
Results: findings indicate that Woonerf streets are generally perceived as pleasant and uneventful, aligning with their intended function as quiet, community-friendly spaces. Streets with more greenery and cultural elements had higher perceived tranquillity, even when objective noise levels remained similar to less visually enriched streets. However, results reveal a discrepancy between predicted and subjective tranquillity, highlighting the limitations of conventional models in accurately reflecting human experience.
Conclusions: these findings have significant implications for urban planning and policy. The results suggest that objective noise and environmental indices alone are insufficient to capture tranquillity as perceived by residents. Instead, a more holistic approach is needed-one that incorporates human sensory perception, urban design elements and socio-environmental factors to create more effective tranquillity assessment frameworks.
Margaritis, Efstathios
bccaaf39-3821-485e-b282-a54b71033fe4
29 April 2025
Margaritis, Efstathios
bccaaf39-3821-485e-b282-a54b71033fe4
Margaritis, Efstathios
(2025)
Understanding perceived tranquility in urban Woonerf streets: case studies in two Dutch cities' into the community.
Urban Sound Symposium 2025, Greater Zürich Area, Dübendorf, Germany.
28 - 30 Apr 2025.
(doi:10.5281/zenodo.14779858).
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Poster)
Abstract
Background: in an increasingly urbanised world, the demand for tranquil spaces is growing. Woonerf streets in the Netherlands exemplify a human-centred urban design, where pedestrian and vehicular movement coexist seamlessly, facilitated by a restricted speed limit of 15 km/h. While previous studies have relied on predictive models to assess tranquillity based on noise exposure and greenery levels (e.g., the Green View Index), urban environments involve diverse sound sources, each influencing human perception differently.
Methods: this study integrates objective sound measurements with subjective tranquillity assessments, considering eight perceptual attributes to capture the complexity of urban soundscapes. Data were collected from 61 Woonerf streets in Groningen and Leeuwarden, incorporating audio recordings, visual analysis, and resident questionnaires to evaluate the relationship between noise levels, environmental characteristics, and perceived tranquillity.
Results: findings indicate that Woonerf streets are generally perceived as pleasant and uneventful, aligning with their intended function as quiet, community-friendly spaces. Streets with more greenery and cultural elements had higher perceived tranquillity, even when objective noise levels remained similar to less visually enriched streets. However, results reveal a discrepancy between predicted and subjective tranquillity, highlighting the limitations of conventional models in accurately reflecting human experience.
Conclusions: these findings have significant implications for urban planning and policy. The results suggest that objective noise and environmental indices alone are insufficient to capture tranquillity as perceived by residents. Instead, a more holistic approach is needed-one that incorporates human sensory perception, urban design elements and socio-environmental factors to create more effective tranquillity assessment frameworks.
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Published date: 29 April 2025
Venue - Dates:
Urban Sound Symposium 2025, Greater Zürich Area, Dübendorf, Germany, 2025-04-28 - 2025-04-30
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Local EPrints ID: 503154
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503154
PURE UUID: d1c40b68-3b87-4b75-b4c1-079d89e06caa
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Date deposited: 22 Jul 2025 17:02
Last modified: 23 Jul 2025 02:14
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Author:
Efstathios Margaritis
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