Dealing with noise in urban-planning – both a challenge and a potential

Noise is a challenge in urban development, influencing architectural concepts and urban structures. Instead of solely focusing on noise mitigation, it is crucial to recognize noise as a potential design element. The vision of urban development—particularly the concept of a mixed-use city—often contrasts with noise protection legislation and conventional noise control methods. To resolve this tension, integrative planning approaches are needed—ones that embed noise as a structuring factor within urban concepts. Viewing noise not only as a challenge but as a dynamic component of spatial planning enables innovative solutions that harmonize acoustic quality with urban diversity.