Types of soundwalks and their applications in soundscape design

Abstract

Seven types of soundwalks are described with examples of the data obtained and the application of each to a case study project. The first type is one where an observer walks through an environment and just listens to get an introduction to the environment or an inspiration for later work. The second type is one where the observer walks with a group of stakeholders to listen to or elicit observations about the environment. The third type of soundwalk is one in which qualitative data in the form of questionnaire responses or quantitative data in the form of sound level measurements or recordings are made. The fourth type is an undercover soundwalk where observations or data are recorded in a way that the observer is not identified as one is not a normal participant in the soundscape. The fifth type is one where stakeholders experience an existing environment that has elements being considered for use in their project. A sixth type of soundwalk is one that occurs in a computer simulation where one experiences a virtual environment. The seventh type is one that combines two or more of the individual types of soundwalks in a composite soundwalk.