Collaborative frameworks for integrating sound within urban design and planning processes

Sound-Frameworks is an action-led research project that explores the role of sound in urban design and city planning.

Through this fellowship, the experienced researcher Sven Anderson will work within Theatrum Mundi, a non-profit organisation that expands the craft of city-making through collaboration with artists, alongside a supervisory team led by Dr. John Bingham-Hall.

Based in London, he will extend his experience in artistic, practice-led research by addressing the question: What tools do interdisciplinary design teams require in order to integrate considerations of sound within the design of the public realm? Central to this fellowship is a focus on urban sonic experience as a driver for design in the public realm.

The public realm constitutes the integral connective tissue that defines the contemporary cityscape, within which different individuals, communities and institutions engage with each other through cooperation and conflict.

Sound has remained a neglected dimension of this domain, generally coming into consideration only within late stages of design through efforts to ameliorate the impact of environmental noise.

As the densification of urban territories accelerates, the role of sonic experience as an essential factor to be addressed by urban designers must be reassessed.Sound-Frameworks will explore new methodologies for integrating sound in urban design through the production of three inter-related, open-access resources: 1.

A sound in practice survey2. A publication on best practice guidelines in this field3.

An online tool to guide the integration of sound in the design of the public realmDrawing from environmental acoustics, spatial planning and contemporary sound studies, the fellowship will develop a framework to extend regional, national and international objectives for integrated city planning and contribute to public realm initiatives in Europe and beyond.