How the soundscape approach enlightens the knowledge about the feeling of safety in urban spaces: A matter of networking and interdisciplinarity

Abstract

In a current project on dynamics of urban safety and its arrangements funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany http://www.dynass-projekt.de/projekt-dynass/ Dynamische Arrangements städtischer Sicherheitskultur/, the Soundscape approach is one of diverse approaches to investigate areas of different cities with respect to the perception and production of safety in such environments. As to the perception of safety, areas as well as its production special attention will be given to the reconstruction of decisive factors. The current status of the international standardization process of the ISO/TC 43/SC 1/WG 54 and the contribution of the COST network are used here as the basis to improve procedures and measures in the applied Soundscape approach. Moreover, this paper will discuss the Soundscape research as an interdisciplinary approach and in an interdisciplinary approach with regard to investigations upon safety management in urban areas. First results give hints to the importance of the acoustic, visual, and social structures of an area in the face of the Soundscape procedure.