CSI – Catalogue of Soundscape Interventions

This project was conducted by Technical University of Berlin in collaboration with University College London from January 2021 to December 2023. The aim of the project was to establish a worldwide network that systematically and transparently collects examples of soundscape interventions and innovative noise protection, as well as the creation of a common knowledge database (CSI database) of sites and places around the world where specific measures have been put in place to design and/or curate the acoustic environment that professionals, urban planners, and communities can draw on for future urban planning. The project will help increase the health-promoting potential of acoustic spaces and stimulate measures to improve the acoustic environment worldwide.

The CSI database categorizes soundscape interventions based on eight dimensions, which are mainly in the implementation phase of site design, suggesting that the focus is on practical application. The contributors are mostly acoustic engineers, musicians/artists, urban planners/architects, and scientists, while the involvement of politicians is limited. Soundscape practices are comprehensive and multidisciplinary, with a focus on neighborhood-level interventions (mesoscale) to achieve an immediate local impact. Most interventions are permanent and show a long-term commitment to improving the soundscape. The most common types of interventions are holistic/design-oriented and target the entire soundscape and the listeners’ experience.