What If Sound Matters Too?: Revisiting the Potential for Healthy Soundscape

Scott Bernstein’s lecture was given at the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology meeting on Wednesday, September 21, hosted by the Columbia College Department of Audio Arts & Acoustics.

Download Scott Bernstein’s PowerPoint slides. (File size 46 MB PDF format.)

See the compelling data and conclusions of his talk correlating CO2 emissions and transportation (public and private) to home ownership, health (physical, social, and economic), soundscape, and overall environment. The data cited in Scott Bernstein’s lecture was drawn from a range of local and international studies. Displayed in the form of charts and graphs, his slideshow may serve as a useful tool to understand, to advocate, and suggest better choices in the planning of urban environments.

Bernstein’s goal is summed up in four tasks, to:

·    Review some history of how our cites came to be built as they are now

·    Review recent knowledge and tools used to help re-plan existing urban environments

·    Explore ways in which both noise control and soundscapes can be seen as essential

·    Suggest some next steps for exploring a useful synthesis of research and action here in Chicago

Scott Bernstein is co-founder and President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a 33 year-old Chicago-based national innovations center that promotes healthy and productive communities. Read more about Scott Bernstein’s work and lecture in our original post here.