GIS tool for leisure noise management

Abstract

In 2003 the Regional Government of Andalusia created a regulatory instrument for the evaluation and management of environmental noise, the so-called Acoustically Saturated Zones (or ZAS) which with some modifications is still in force. This instrument has been used mainly (but not exclusively) in residential areas affected by outdoor leisure noise and makes available to the administration a catalog of special noise mitigation measures. These measures must be implemented in such a way that they facilitate the reconciliation of the right of residents to adequate environmental quality and the need to support economic activity. That is why the objective of this work is to describe how a GIS tool has been designed to help city officials in the efficient management of noise. Thus, the heart of the tool is a geodatabase that handles information relevant to decision-making, such as noise levels, premises license data, records of complaints and inspections, population figures, etc. The city of Cadiz has been chosen as a case study since certain attractive urban places concentrate a dense offer of terraces, bars, restaurants, and other activities, turning these areas and their surroundings into poles of attraction for crowds.