Francesco Borchi

LIFE+2010 QUADMAP project: A new methodology to select, analyze and manage Quiet Urban Areas defined by the European Directive 2002/49/EC

Abstract Concerning quiet areas, the definition provided by the Environmental Noise Directive (END) is intended to preserve the acoustic environment in those areas where it is considered good, according to general indicators and limits. However, the END is not clear enough to allow appropriate assessment and management in urban environments. The aim of QUADMAP project was to deliver a method and guidelines for the identification, delineation, characterization, improvement and management of Quiet Urban Areas (QUAs) as defined by the END. The Project also wanted to help clarify the definition of a QUA, its meaning and its added value for cities in terms of health, safety and lowering stress levels. In this article, after an introduction of the current European scenario on QUAs, the main aspects of the methodology introduced for the selection, analysis and management of QUAs are described. Eventually, the major results achieved by the Project, in terms of the guideline on QUAs, the implemented interventions and the achieved benefits, are reported and discussed.

LIFE+2008 HUSH project results: a new methodology and a new platform for implementing an integrated and harmonized noise Action Plan and proposals for updating Italian legislation and Environmental Noise Directive

H.U.S.H. “Harmonization of Urban Noise reduction Strategies forHomogeneous action plans” is a project cofunded by Life+2008 Program, aimed at giving a contribution to the harmonization of the Italian National and European legislations, regarding urban noise management tools, allowing a definition of coherent procedures able to comply the commitments introduced by National laws and by the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END).

Design of active noise control systems for pulse noise

Active noise control (ANC) methods have been successfully studied and tested for the cancellation of stationary noise. In the last decade, some adaptive solutions for the case of impulsive noise have been proposed in the literature. Nevertheless, such a model fits a limited class of impulsive disturbances that characterize practical scenarios. In this paper a preliminary study on the design of a non-adaptive deterministic ANC system for pulse signals that relies on no statistical assumptions is developed. The spatial audio rendering framework of Wave Field Synthesis is formally adopted in order to synthesize the cancelling sound field by means of an array of secondary sources. A set of preliminary simulations in free field environment, as well as the impact of array geometry and extension, has been carried out in view of forthcoming geometry and shape optimization of the system.

Active noise control for pulse signals by wave field synthesis

Active noise control (ANC) techniques have been intensively studied and applied for the cancellation of stationary noise. More recently, adaptive solutions for the case of impulsive noise, i.e. stochastic processes for which statistical moments superior to the first are not defined, have been proposed in the literature. Nevertheless, such a model fits a limited class of impulsive disturbances that could be experienced in practice. This paper introduces a preliminary study on a non-adaptive deterministic ANC technique for pulse signals that relies on no statistical assumptions. In particular, the spatial audio rendering framework of Wave Field Synthesis is formally adopted in order to synthesize the cancelling acoustic field. Simulations in free field environment, including the analysis of impairments such as time mismatch and template mismatch, have been carried out, showing promising performances in terms of noise cancellation.

Development of a new smart noise monitoring system for a long-term noise control in the cities

The paper describes a new smart noise monitoring system designed and implemented into the project named LIFE15 ENV/IT/000586 “Methodologies fOr Noise low emission Zones introduction And management” (MONZA). The prototype system has been designed starting from the state of the art and the monitoring needs of the MONZA project. The designed system can be considered as a prototype according to the necessary customization in the designing of connections among the hardware components and in the definition of protocols to manage and post process of data collected. The designed prototype needs to maintain the original specs over a long time. In fact, the new monitoring system will be used for a long time (at least five years) during and after the MONZA project duration. In this paper, a description related to the designed network are reported as well as the optimized protocol used to check the system performance variation over time.

Introduction and management of noise low emission zones: LIFE MONZA project

The introduction of Low Emission Zones, an urban area subject to road traffic restrictions in order to ensure compliance with the air pollutants limit values, set by the European Directive on ambient air quality (2008/50/EC), are common and well-established actions in the administrative government of the cities and the impacts on air quality improvement are widely analyzed, while the effects and benefits concerning the noise have not been addressed in a comprehensive manner. The definition, the criteria for analysis, and the management methods of a Noise Low Emission Zone are not yet clearly expressed and shared. LIFE MONZA project (Methodologies for Noise low emission Zones introduction and management—LIFE15 ENV/ IT/000586) addresses these issues. The first objective of the project, co-funded by the European Commission, is to introduce an easy-replicable method for the identification and the management of the Noise Low Emission Zones, an urban area subject to traffic restrictions, whose impacts and benef...

Participation of public and stakeholders in the design of urban quiet areas.

The strategic action plan and the city plan for noise control and reduction of Florence (Italy) have been developed by the authors, integrating the planned actions, in the frame of HUSH, a LIFE+ EU funded project concerning the Harmonization of Urban noise reduction Strategies for Homogeneous plans. Quiet areas and relative actions have been planned according to a Participatory Design approach, connected with the multi‐sensorial conception of landscape and its perception and following a model aiming to actively involve the public, considering the real and potential stakeholders’ opinions. In a number of squares, green areas and urban open spaces, chosen for stressing the method, actions directly involve the users of each place, through a process of participation and communication that increase the sense of belonging to the place itself, reinforcing the idea of community. Two case studies, regarding a square ideally divided in four connected areas with different soundscapes and different users and a wide g...