Noise pollution in urban environments is on the rise but better acoustic planning could help to silence the issue.
Architecture has always shaped the way that cities look – think sculpted skylines, pretty public squares and handsome new neighbourhoods – but planners have rarely considered how they sound. Whether it’s the ringing of Copenhagen’s bicycle bells or the boisterous conversations spilling from Milan’s neighbourhood cafés, what you hear can brand a city and help to bring it to life.
But some sounds can be a nuisance: the drone of traffic, the cacophony of construction sites, the clatter of plates in a corner café. And noise can be bad for us. According to a 2025 report, more than 20 per cent of Europeans are exposed to high levels of transport noise that exceed thresholds set under EU reporting rules. This can cause stress and sleep disturbance. This week a London Assembly member called for change after a “clear rise in noise levels” on the city’s Underground system.
Globalisation has homogenised aspects of the urban soundscape, creating a uniform background noise across many cities worldwide. The glass and steel used to construct skyscrapers, for example, act as acoustic mirrors, reflecting back the sound of traffic and even the mechanical hum of air-conditioning units.
Though noise pollution in cities is increasing, urban environments are still primarily designed for the eye. We must remember that decisions about materials, streets and buildings shape what we hear. Every new structure, pavement or mixed-use block adds a note to our city’s sonic symphony. We need to conduct things better.
Rather than simply asking how to reduce unwanted noise, we should consider what gives a city its identity – and what it should ideally sound like. For me, it’s the bustle of a busy market, an echo beneath a railway bridge or the flutter of birds returning to roost. For you, it might be bike wheels on cobblestones, the clanging of inner-city workshops or even the faint thud of music in venues after dark.
Zürich offers an example of what smart acoustic planning can achieve. The city recently began to reduce speed limits on roads where the roar of the traffic exceeds specific limits. This has led to a reduction in noise pollution. However, Zürich’s distinctive sonic character is the result not of a single policy but of countless planning decisions that include sound in their thinking.
My advice to other cities seeking to improve their residents’ quality of life? Listen up: there’s far more to the debate on cities than meets the eye.
Arjan Rietveld is a writer, researcher and curator based in Berlin. His work explores sound, culture and the built environment.
