How Does the Composition and Configuration of Green Space Influence Urban Noise?: A Systematic Literature Review

The attenuation of anthropogenic noise is an often overlooked benefit of incorporating green space into the urban built environment. High levels of noise exposure pose a significant health risk to urban dwellers, but vegetation can both physically block and absorb noise, as well as lower perceived noise levels. To advance understanding on how green space can be leveraged for reducing urban noise, we conduct a systematic literature review on the composition and configuration of urban green space and its relationship to anthropogenic noise levels in cities.

We find that the literature is in agreement that green space composition and configuration contributes to decreased noise levels in a variety of ways: greater total area, larger patches, taller trees, and deeper vertical vegetation were associated with greater noise reductions. Furthermore, clustered sets of green space patches and less compact individual patches were linked with lower noise levels.

The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and the reviewed articles are summarized in an interactive web-app to make the information accessible to urban policymakers and residents seeking to design green spaces that mitigate the negative impacts of urban environmental noise.