SoundCollect, the sound of the community
Budget:
200.000€
SFC:
Coordinator
Duration:
2023-2024
Programme:
FEDER funds
In the Strategic Noise Maps (2017-2022) of the large urban agglomerations of Catalonia, it is concluded that a high percentage of its population is living in areas with noise levels above the reference limit values.
Despite the warning of the European Environmental Agency (EEA) in its report “Noise in Europe 2014” about the importance of identifying potential quiet areas, accessible and close to places with high population density, today there is a lack of data that allow a good characterization of these areas. To this lack of data, we must add the limited scope of the strategic noise maps, since they only focus on areas with noise sources and are carried out exclusively in populations over 100,000 inhabitants. This fact leaves many Catalan municipalities without proper monitoring of their noise pollution.
Project challenge
Within the framework of the 2021-2027 FEDER Operational Program of Catalonia, the Generalitat de Catalunya promotes the development of innovative technological solutions to address different challenges. One of the approved solutions is the development of an application for mobile devices to identify and acoustically characterize quiet areas and routes in urban areas, which are not properly characterized. To this end, SoundCollect seeks to offer acoustic monitoring of these quiet areas, always putting citizen science at the focus of the project.
RIS3CAT Public Innovation Procurement Program of the Generalitat de Catalunya co-financed by the call for the operating program of the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) of Catalonia 2021-2027 and code number EC-2023-89.
Solutions
SoundCollect is a free citizen science tool where users can report information on community spaces of high acoustic and socio-environmental value. The aim is to create a collaborative map of quiet areas at a local scale that will improve the management, protection and conservation of these spaces. In addition, the impact that these spaces have on the quality of life and well-being of citizens is highlighted.
Citizen participation is one of the key points of the project, given that it will be the citizens who feed the data collection for the subsequent elaboration of the sound maps. In addition, throughout the entire project, different co-creation methodologies will be used to generate a positive impact on society, the territory in which it works and its socio-economic and environmental environment, thus increasing the scientific knowledge of citizens, encouraging the critical thinking and allowing public participation in decision-making and in the generation of joint social innovations.
Science For Change coordinates the project with the support of the company Engineering for Noise Control (ICR), the software company Qualud and the expert in citizen science and quiet areas, Dr. Antonella Radicchi. The project has the technical support of the Acoustic and Light Pollution Prevention and Control Service of the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat. The project is financed within the RIS3CAT Program of the Generalitat de Catalunya co-financed by the call for the operational program of the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) of Catalonia 2021-2027.
Results
With SoundCollect it is planned to raise awareness and involve the public in the process of monitoring noise data in quiet urban areas in order to collect and manage the information necessary to produce collaborative sound maps so that they are available to the population. With this tool, it is hoped to promote integrated urban planning, following a model based on the participation and active listening of citizens in the project, which will allow joint solutions to be found for the preservation of quiet areas.
The relevant milestones of the project are:
- Develop a collaborative map of quiet urban areas.
- Raise awareness and involve citizens in the process of capturing noise data.
- Validate the application developed for mobile devices.
- Run pilot tests through citizen participation projects.
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