A positive soundscape evaluation system

Current policy on environmental sound is largely based on noise control. There is considerable interest in exploiting the soundscape concept to provide a more sophisticated way of managing our acoustic environment. For this to happen, a tool for assessing soundscape quality is needed. This paper reports on an exploratory attempt to define a soundscape evaluation system. It is based on the work of the Positive Soundscape Project which has provided a qualitative and quantitative account of soundscape perception. The evaluation system integrates these perceptual results with outlines of what can be measured and how user behaviour can be characterised to supply the information that a soundscape designer might need. Soundscape evaluation could be used to support planning decisions on where and how to intervene in a soundscape.