Urban road traffic noise and annoyance: The effect of a quiet faade

Road traffic noise in urban areas is a major source of annoyance. A quiet faade has been hypothesized to beneficially affect annoyance. However, only a limited number of studies investigated this hypothesis, and further quantification is needed. This study investigates the effect of a relatively quiet faade on the annoyance response. Logistic regression was performed in a large population based study (GLOBE, N∼18 000), to study the association between road traffic noise exposure at the most exposed dwelling faade (L den) and annoyance in: (1) The subgroup with a relatively quiet faade (large difference in road traffic noise level between most and least exposed faade (Q 10 dB); (2) the subgroup without a relatively quiet faade (Q 10 dB). Questionnaire data were linked to individual exposure assessment based on detailed spatial data (GIS) and standard modeling techniques. Annoyance was less likely (OR Q10 OR Q10) in the subgroup with relatively quiet faade compared to the subgroup without relatively quiet faade. The difference in response between groups seemed to increase with increasing Q and L den. Results indicate that residents may benefit from a quiet faade to the dwelling.

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