Green spaces and environmental noise perception

Physical reduction of noise exposure is no longer considered the only preventive approach towards noise mitigation. Urban green spaces constitute an important factor in ameliorating the negative perception of noise in cities. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between several objective and self-rated indicators of interaction with green spaces and noise perception. In a small scale cross-sectional survey of residents of Plovdiv, Bulgaria we collected data on noise sensitivity (NS), noise annoyance (NA) and several green space variables. A conceptual mediation model in which the effects of green spaces on NA were hypothesized to be mediated through NS was tested. While most green space variables had significant indirect effects on NA, the only one having a significant total effect was distance to the nearest green space; that is, living closer to a green space was associated with lower NA. It seemed that while the other aspects of interaction with green spaces could reduce the susceptibility to noise, they could not do so for NA. In conclusion, interaction with green spaces had a beneficial impact on noise perception, but we still lack hard evidence regarding the mechanisms underlying these effects. (C) 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.