In the context of urban planning, the aspect of environmental noise is at the forefront of public and political debates. Previous concepts in environmental noise management focused primarily on the physical characteristics of sounds. Nonetheless, urban sound is more than just physical parameters; it is important for our everyday experiences and social interaction. Urban sound can have a positive effect on well-being, promote orientation and help to strengthen social and cultural ties. In this context, a comprehensive approach is needed to appropriately design sound in urban environments. This contribution uses examples to analyze which are the decisive conditions for the auditory experience in a specific urban context. From this, means and tools for urban soundscape design are derived, which can be assigned to the following three groups: sound events, sound propagation and the expectations of the residents. The inclusion of these means and tools in urban planning can make a significant contribution to the development of high-quality urban places and situations and to the expansion of conventional noise control policies. Not only the city dwellers, but also municipalities, authorities and investors benefit from such comprehensive urban soundscape design.