O som e o ruído nos jardins do Porto

Abstract

This work concerns the soundscape of ten urban gardens and parks in Porto, Portugal. It characterizes and analyzes their noise levels through two approaches: acoustic characterization of the inside and outside of the gardens through the parameters LAeq, LA10, LA50 and LA90; socio-acoustic survey to the visitors. The results concluded that the gardens noise levels ranged between 47 and 61 dB(A). The difference between the exterior and the interior LAeq was between +3 and +19 dB. The noisiest gardens are the smaller ones, located near the citys centre. An acoustic classification for gardens/urban parks was proposed regarding their isolation capacity and acoustic ambience. A comparison with the measurements made in 1990 is presented. The socio-acoustic survey concluded that Portos gardens and parks are visited mostly by an elderly population accustomed to the dominant noise, classifying these spaces as pleasant and quiet.