Sound Perception of Different Materials for the Footpaths of Urban Parks

Abstract

Over the years the environmental potential of urban parks has attracted increasingly attention. In order to preserve their positive influence for communities, the sonic environment perception (soundscape) must be considered too. Urban parks’ sonic environment is influenced by attenders moving around; indeed, walking sounds have very high occurrence in such contexts. However, studies investigating both walking sounds and soundscape are limited. This study investigates the influence of different footpath materials on the sonic perception. A laboratory listening experiment was carried out with four walked-on materials: grass, wood, stone and gravel. Preliminary results show a significant material effect on soundscape perception.