第2721期:Can we create the perfect city soundscape?

Picture your dream living room. You're sitting on the sofa with the window open. What do you hear? Is it the sound of a flowing river? The murmuring of human chatter as friends enjoy a hot drink at the neighbouring cafe? A soundscape is your aural environment – everything you can hear around you, and researchers say the soundscape where you live can influence your wellbeing.想象您梦dream以求的客厅。 您坐在沙发上，窗户打开。 你听到了什么？ 它是流动的河流吗？ 当朋友在附近的咖啡馆享用热饮吗？ 音景是您的听觉环境 - 您周围能听到的一切，研究人员说，您所处的声音会影响您的健康。In times gone by, soundscapes would've consisted of the sounds of nature, such as birdcall and the sound of crashing waves. The reality of human life in the 21st Century means that air travel, construction and traffic noises are now in the mix, and agricultural noise means that not even rural life is safe. Noise pollution can lead to heightened stress levels, impaired cognitive function and higher risk of cardiovascular disease in humans, according to an article published by the UK Parliament called 'The effects of artificial light and noise on human health'. Not only that, it can affect the behaviour and life cycles of species which rely on sound.在过去的时间里，音景将由自然的声音组成，例如鸟叫声和撞浪的声音。 21世纪人类生活的现实意味着现在的空中旅行，建筑和交通噪音现在已经存在，农业噪音意味着甚至农村的生活也不是安全的。 根据英国议会发表的一篇文章，噪声污染会导致应激水平升高，认知功能受损和人类心血管疾病的风险更高。 不仅如此，它还会影响依赖声音的物种的行为和生命周期。So, what can be done? Urban design is one trick. In Barcelona in Spain, urban planners designed 'superblocks', where traffic goes around big groups of buildings and the inner streets are pedestrianised, creating space for people and wildlife that is free from beeping horns and humming motors. In a 2025 article published in BMC Public Health, people in these areas reported an improvement in wellbeing, quality of sleep and reduction in noise.那么，怎么办？ 城市设计是一种技巧。 在西班牙的巴塞罗那，城市规划师设计了“超级块”，那里的交通围绕着大型建筑物和内部街道进行了行人，为人们和野生动植物创造了空间，这些空间没有蜂鸣声和嗡嗡声。 在2025年发表在BMC公共卫生中的一篇文章中，这些地区的人们报告说，健康状况的改善，睡眠质量和噪音的降低。Other techniques include tree buffers, where trees are planted in urban areas to absorb sound energy. In the Netherlands, they have created earth banks next to Schiphol airport to absorb noise from the runways and protect residents in the surrounding areas. England has a vast network of hedgerows – they'd stretch around the Earth almost ten times if lined up! And it turns out they make excellent sound barriers, particularly if the hedges are large, dense and evergreen.其他技术包括树缓冲液，在城市地区种植树木以吸收声音能量。 在荷兰，他们在史基菲尔机场旁边创建了地球银行，以吸收跑道的噪音，并保护周围地区的居民。 英格兰有一个庞大的树篱网络 - 如果排队几乎可以在地球上延伸十倍！ 事实证明，它们制造出极好的声音障碍，尤其是在树篱大，密集且常绿时。When we think about improving our environment, it's likely your mind jumps to reducing litter and air pollution. But reducing noise pollution is also important, to create a soundscape that works for everyone – people and wildlife. 当我们考虑改善环境时，您的大脑可能会跳下垃圾和空气污染。 但是，减少噪音污染也很重要，可以创建适合每个人（人和野生动植物）的音景。