Proceedings of the 11th Convention of the
European Acoustics Association
Forum Acusticum / EuroNoise 2025


Málaga, Spain
June 23 - 26, 2025





Session: A05.03 Environmental noise perception
Date: Monday 23 June 2025
Time: 18:20
Title: Exploring the acoustic environments of Barcelona's Superblocks: perceptions from soundwalks
Author(s): Aline Ramos Esperidião
Andrea Potenza
Ester Vidaña-Vila
Marc Freixes
Antonella Radicchi
Alfredo Iarozinski Neto
Rosa Maria Alsina-Pagès
Pages: 1063-1070
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.61782/fa.2025.0393
PDF: https://dael.euracoustics.org/confs/fa2025/data/articles/000393.pdf
Conference proceedings
Abstract

The Superblock proposal in Barcelona is a strategy for urban intervention that aims to promote lower traffic density, increased green spaces and quiet areas, thereby improving the health and well-being of citizens. Consequently, it can serve as a valuable case study for testing tools for soundscape assessment, as it provides a unique acoustic environment. To evaluate it, soundwalks were conducted in the Poblenou, Sant Gervasi, and Sant Antoni Superblocks. This study examined the similarities among these three locations in terms of how people perceive the quietness and sounds in each area. Subjective data were obtained through questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale and multiple-choice questions. The results showed that Sant Gervasi and Sant Antoni Superblocks were not considered quiet areas by the participants, although birds and vegetation contributed positively to the sense of quietness in the first location. In Poblenou, the quietest point is related to the promotion of social interaction. The findings of this study can be used to plan new superblocks and analyze their effectiveness in promoting a better acoustic environment in the city.