How can the sound of a city like Montreal be improved? For nearly two decades, McGill Professor Catherine Guastavino has explored that question, turning Quebec’s metropolis into a living laboratory.
Working with citizens’ groups, sound artists and professionals of the built environment, including urban planners, landscape designers and policymakers, she and her students have increased awareness of the role of sound in urban life. And they have helped position Montreal among North American leaders in integrating sound concerns into urban design.
Those responsible for shaping our cities have to juggle various factors. Typically, they receive little formal training in how to include sound considerations, and there are few resources to guide them apart from codes that set noise limits. As a result, they have focused mainly on permissible decibel levels, said Guastavino, who is affiliated with McGill’s School of Information Studies and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology, an inter-institutional research centre based at McGill.
It’s not just about noise
Noise pollution is widely recognized as a public health concern, linked to hearing loss, sleep disruption, stress and cardiovascular disease, and urban residents are routinely exposed to levels of sound that exceed recommended decibel limits. But focusing only on decibel levels misses key factors, said the researcher.
“A single number cannot capture whether sound is pleasant or not, continuous or intermittent, where it comes from or what it means. All these factors play into how it is perceived,” she said. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the ideal urban soundscape. Lively environments can energize plazas and cafés and foster conversation, while spaces for rest or reflection benefit from quieter settings with natural sounds. What works depends on the activity or the context.”
How sound shapes urban life
Research has found that thoughtfully designed soundscapes can reduce stress, support concentration and encourage people to linger and connect in public spaces; poorly designed ones can undermine well-being, even when they meet regulations.
Guastavino’s approach rests on a simple idea: cities can sound better, not just less bad.
“Sound should be planned alongside other design elements, not treated as an afterthought,” she emphasized.
From research to practice
Through the Sounds in the City partnership, Guastavino and her team are exploring ways to improve urban soundscapes in Montreal and in several European cities while bridging research and practice.
Their work spans a wide range of issues, from studying how low-income and racialized communities face disproportionate noise exposure to analyzing sound policies in Quebec and around the world. They have also created urban sound kiosks where residents can share favourite playlists in public spaces.
One of their current projects involves developing a virtual reality soundscape simulator that will allow users, including urban planners, to experience how their design choices, such as building placement, affect sound in a city. By simulating interventions in virtual environments, users can get a sense of the implications on the sound environment, allowing plans to be adjusted accordingly, before changes are made in the real world.
Studying the effects of pedestrianization
Researchers will also be studying the effects of the temporary pedestrianization of various streets in Montreal over the summer (Promenade Ontario, Mont-Royal Ave. and Promenade Wellington).
The project is funded by the Air, Intersectoriality, Respiratory and Sound Research Network (AIRS), which is co-directed by Guastavino.
By measuring changes in noise, air quality and people’s perceptions, the team aims to show how attentive listening can help cities design healthier, more sustainable and more welcoming public spaces.
Together, these efforts point to McGill’s ongoing involvement in a future where cities are designed not just to manage noise, but to provide their citizens with richer, healthier and more meaningful sonic environments.