While other sightseeing tours of the Chicago pedway are offered to the public, Christopher Preissing’s approach departed from the typical visual emphasis for the aural. Soundwalkers listened for the distinctive sounds and ever-present tones that define the pedway’s many rooms, corridors, and their occupants.
Hear Below: Listening to Chicago Underground on Saturday, Feb. 9 will explore the east to west route from the Illinois Center located at northeast corner of Lake Street and Michigan Avenue, passing through the South Shore Platform, Millennium Station, the Chicago Cultural Center, Macy’s, the Red Line station, Block 37, the Blue Line Station, and end near Starbucks below the Richard J. Daley Center. We will stop and listen to the unique sound environment of each of these segments of the Pedway, get a little history along the way and conclude with a conversation at the end of the soundwalk.
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.
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.