Soundscape characterization in selected areas of Central London

The Mayor of London's Ambient Noise Strategy 'Sounder City' is the first UK public policy document to promote, not just noise reduction, but positive soundscape management. For its prescriptions to be put into full effect, psychoacoustic methods are needed to characterize existing areas where action may be needed to counteract existing noise pollution. To this aim, the soundscape characterization of two different areas in Central London will be presented in this work, where the two selected parks have in common the presence of a heavily trafficked road nearby. The acoustical experience of passers‐by will be mapped using an indicator related to the time history of sound energy, related in previous studies to people's perceptions. Comparison with the same description performed by classical psychoacoustic parameters and perspectives for innovative, positive soundscape based actions will be discussed.