Urban soundscapes of the world

ASAsense carried out this international project in collaboration with Ghent University from December 2016 to November 2019. A database was created that currently contains approximately 130 high-quality audiovisual recordings taken in 9 cities worldwide. Cities comprise of many types of outdoor spaces, each with their distinct soundscape. These soundscapes contribute to the quality of the spaces and eventually identify cities and communities. Urban outdoor spaces that have a fitting soundscape contribute to the well-being of residents and visitors.

In recent decades, awareness of the transience and value of urban soundscapes as cultural heritage has increased, and more and more efforts are being made to record and catalog urban soundscapes for research and posterity.

A main goal of the project was to create a reference database of examples of urban acoustic environments from selected locations worldwide, consisting of high-quality immersive audiovisual recordings (360-degree video and spatial audio in adherence to ISO 12913-2) as well as ACN/SN3D First-Order Ambisonics. A wide range of urban locations in Europe, USA, Asia, and Latin America has been covered with a variety of soundscapes, selected in close collaboration with local experts.

These recordings are available to the scientific community along with relevant contextual material for each location, such as GIS data and typical usage, to promote collaboration and exchange.