Soundscape revisited

摘要

Welcome to this themed issue of JUD, revisiting soundscape, the acoustic equivalent of landscape. In urban design, soundscape is essentially a matter of the right sound in the right place at the right time at the right level, with respect to the intended use of the space. Which sounds are appropriate, and which are not? Which sounds are present, and which are missing? In this view, sound is a natural resource that contributes to quality of life. It appears that the term 'soundscape' was used in a scientific article for the first time in 1969, some 50 year ago. The author was Michael Southworth (1969), a PhD student in city planning at MIT in Boston, today Professor Emeritus of Urban Design and Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and the North American Associate Editor of JUD. The article was entitled The Sonic Environment of Cities and was based on Southworth's Master's Thesis in city planning, which he completed at MIT in 1967. While Southworth is well known among academics in urban planning and design, few are aware of his soundscape study. On the other hand, most soundscape researchers are familiar with the 1969 article, but few know the author.