Courtyard trees and aircraft noise: Investigating the effect of Urban Greenery on aircraft noise perception using Virtual Reality (VR)

Abstract

Aircraft noise exposure causes annoyance, sleep disturbance and contributes to the development of severe long-term health outcomes for populations living under frequently used air routes. Traditional land-use based noise abatement strategies have shown limited success in mitigating these effects, prompting interest in alternative design measures such as the use urban greenery to improve soundscapes and reduce noise annoyance. This study assesses the effect of the visual presence of trees on aircraft noise perception during flyover events in a controlled setting. An audio-visual Virtual Reality (VR) experiment was conducted, showcasing two scenarios of a residential inner courtyard during a flyover event with and without trees. Following each scenario, participants (N=33) rated their soundscape perception using standardized soundscape questionnaires (ISO-12913). Preliminary results suggest that the scenarios with the trees present were on average perceived as acoustically more pleasant compared to those without greenery. This suggests that greenery, particularly trees, positively influence the perception of aircraft noise in urban environments through non-acoustical factors, warranting further investigation. These results contribute to a more mechanistic understanding of the effect of urban greenery on aircraft noise perception and aim to provide a base for future in-situ studies.