Progressive Perspectives
Mapping Soundscapes of Urbanizing Landscapes: Modeling the Acoustic Environment Across an Urban-Rural Gradient in Innsbruck, Austria
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jacob Dein
Sound is a natural property of ecosystems and urban spaces; however, human-made noise poses an increasing threat to both wildlife and humans. Mapping noise is an attenuation strategy enacted by the European Union’s Environmental Noise Directive that requires member states to develop noise maps for urban areas. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of noise through the maps identifies when and where attenuation measures can have the greatest impact. Similarly, mapping desirable components of the acoustic environment (e.g., biological sounds such as bird calls) could also be effective for promoting urban design that leads to healthier spaces for humans and reduces noise impacts to surrounding ecosystems. Towards this goal, we mapped the acoustic environment across an urban-rural gradient in Innsbruck, Austria, which varies from a densely-developed urban center to a sparsely-developed rural landscape bordered by large natural areas. We repeatedly recorded the acoustic environment at 30 locations during the spring of 2016 and modeled natural sound (biophony) separately from, and in addition to, the total sound level. We found a strong relationship between the acoustic environment and land cover properties that could be used to create holistic sound maps across other urban areas. As urban areas grow, improved sound mapping techniques will help planners proactively design with better soundscapes in mind.
Walking In Between the Margins: A Psychogeographical Study with LGBT People in the Kirklees Area
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alex John Bridger
This study outlines psychogeography as a way to document LGBT people’s experiences living in the Yorkshire area of the United Kingdom. We extend psychogeographical work to not only consider consumer capitalism, but also to conceptualise a gender-informed approach to doing psychogeography in psychology and neighbouring disciplines including geography. In our project, we undertook various walks with local people from across the LGBT spectrum, in order to explore memories, create art pieces to represent experiences of the area, and to document ‘queerness’ in places. We conducted psychogeographical walks in Huddersfield, Batley, Holmfirth and Manchester. Participants took photographs, drew DIY maps, and wrote reflective accounts of the walks. Analysis includes threading key themes from the photographs, audio, and written accounts by the participants. It is our view that further psychogeographical work is needed with LGBT people to consider their standpoints in relation to consumer capitalism as well as to further develop a feminist, queer, and LGBT informed approaches to psychogeographical research and practice.
Environmental and Social Inequalities in Ahmedabad, India: Comparing Industrial and Riverfront Development
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pratyusha Basu, Jayajit Chakraborty
As a rapidly growing metropolitan region in India, the city of Ahmedabad is increasingly drawing capital investment for various urban renewal projects. One such transformative project is the construction of a green belt along the Sabarmati river. Most studies of this riverfront development have examined its aesthetic components, or injustices associated with removal of slum dwellers residing along the river, which has led to limited attention being paid to the wider context of environmental and social inequalities. For Ahmedabad, this wider context includes polluted landscapes that are associated with the city’s industrial development. This paper examines and compares the socio-demographic characteristics of neighborhoods located near industries releasing hazardous chemicals and those proximate to the Sabarmati riverfront project in Ahmedabad to analyze how new urban greenscapes link to existing industrial pollution. Spatial statistical analysis of census data, and textual analysis of newspaper articles and governmental plans are used to: (1) evaluate social inequities in the distribution of hazardous industries and riverfront development; and (2) link these to broader legacies of industrial and real estate growth in the city. By juxtaposing the characteristics of social groups residing near hazardous industries and around the riverfront, this paper draws attention to the persistent presence of urban pollution and questions the transformative capacity of new urban planning initiatives.
