Exploring relationships between soundscape and lightscape perception: A case study around the Colosseum and Fori Imperiali in Rome

Abstract

Recently, there has been a growing interest to implement a holistic approach to study perception in urban settings with historic value, in which environmental factors such as acoustics and lighting play an important role. However, little research has addressed sound and light in combination. In this exploratory field study, a soundscape and lightscape protocol was implemented to gather both objective and subjective data. In all, 46 people joined a group walk around the historical sites of Colosseum and Fori Imperiali in Rome. Participants assessed the soundscape and lightscape quality via questionnaire at four locations, immediately before and after the sunset in April 2021. Acoustic parameters (A-weighted equivalent sound level, loudness, sharpness, roughness) and lighting parameters (luminance, colour rendering index and correlated colour temperature) were measured at each location while participants filled in the questionnaire. While there was little variation in the acoustic parameters measured before and after the sunset walks, changes were observed in perceptual data about the soundscape. These outcomes reveal a potential effect of lighting conditions on soundscape perception.

Psychological and Visual Perception of Campus Lightscapes Based on Lightscape Walking Evaluation: A Case Study of Chongqing University in China

“…The diverse landscape has slowly gained significant attention. Multi-sensory experiences, incorporating sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell, go beyond conventional visual and spatial patterns and serve interactive and therapeutic purposes [6][7][8].…”

Soundscape assessment of the School of Engineering external area at the University of Pisa

“…The possibility to integrate conventional noise mapping methods and soundscape methods has been investigated [4]. The methodology for the assessment of soundscape is defined in the standard ISO 12913-2:2018 [5] and it has been applied in several case studies [6][7][8], concerning university areas as well [9]. This study analyses the variability of the soundscape in a modestly sized area that can be reached on foot within 15 minutes.…”

Editorial: Special issue for early career researchers in lighting

“…On the topic of urban lighting, Flores-Villa et al 1 combined acoustic and lighting appraisals during a guided walk in an historical urban context during daytime and after dark and examined potential cross-domain effects. Hennig et al 2 studied changes in social interactions in public squares under daylight and after dark under electric lighting.…”