The influence of vegetation and surrounding traffic noise parameters on the sound environment of urban parks

Results showed that simulated noise levels were slightly overestimated compared to the actual ones. Within the parks very small differences were found no matter whether measurement points were examined individually or aggregated on grids. Overall, background noise (LA90) presented more fluctuations than LA10. At the same time, the average noise levels both for LA90 and LA10 were higher in the surrounding environment of the parks - compared to the inside - most probably because of traffic sound sources and the proximity to main roads. Additional analysis was also performed within the parks for the identification of “hot” and “cold” spots for LA90 using GIS tools. Relationships between noise levels and morphological features of the surrounding environment were also identified. The final step of analysis dealt with the effects of tree or grass areas in noise indices. The effect of additional sources other than traffic is also explained as part of the limitations and the actual findings of this research.