Tolerance of noise as a necessity of urban pollution

noise pollution as an environmental problem and its cultural perceptions in the city of Helsinki

Authors

• Outi Ampuja

Abstract

Tolerance of Noise as a Necessity of Urban Life: Noise pollution as an environmental problem and its cultural perceptions in the city of Helsinki

This article contains an English summary of a PhD-study called Melun sieto kaupunkielämän välttämättömyytenä. Melu ympäristöongelmana ja sen synnyttämien reaktioiden kulttuurinen käsittely Helsingissä. The study looks at the noise pollution problem and the change in the urban soundscape in the city of Helsinki during the period from the 1950s to the present day. The study investigates the formation of noise problems, the politicization of the noise pollution problem, noise-related civic activism, the development of environmental policies on noise, and the expectations that urban dwellers have had concerning their everyday soundscape.
Both so-called street noise and the noise caused by, e.g., neighbours are taken into account. The study investigates whether our society contains or has for some time contained cultural and other elements that place noise pollution as an essential or normal state of affairs as part of urban life. It is also discussed whether we are moving towards an artificial soundscape, meaning that the auditory reality, the soundscape, is more and more under human control.