The 24-hour City: Residents' Sensorial Experiences

Abstract

The concept of the 24-hour city evokes vibrancy and a dynamic that suggests the harmonious coexistence of mixed land uses which might otherwise be considered improbable neighbors. In reality we see a 24-hour city full of diverse uses, needs and requirements, potentially at odds with one another. This paper addresses a gap in the literature on sensory cities by providing an interpretation of the city with reference to residents' sensorial experiences of the 24-hour city. Drawing on traditions in sociology, anthropology and acoustic ecology a combination of photo-surveys, soundwalks, sound level recordings and semi-structured interviews were used to engage inhabitants of the city centers of Manchester and Sheffield and the city center area of Clerkenwell in London in a study of their sensorial relationships with their local environment. By focusing on the narratives and practices of these residents we argue that the 24-hour city is a place rich with sensorial encounters and that these are highly significant components of people's everyday urban experience. We use this as a platform for raising some key issues that need to be addressed in the further development of 24-hour city centers.