Acoustic Clime And Soundscape Of A University Square: monitoring before depaving and greening renovation

This paper presents the results of the acoustic clime and soundscape monitoring of a university square in Milan, performed before its depavimentation and greening renovation. The studied area is the main square of the University of Milan-Bicocca. It is fully cemented and arranged on two levels, surrounded by 6-floor buildings and heavily impacted by anthropogenic noise (i.e., technical installations, tram passages, road traffic). The renovation is fully funded by the MUSA project (Multilayer Urban Sustainability Action) which is set into the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). MUSA proposes management strategies to face the environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges of the metropolitan city of Milan. The square renovation goals are to reduce the heat island effect, mitigate local air and noise pollution, and improve the area’s biodiversity and students' life quality. The final aim of our research group is to evaluate the changes in the acoustic clime and soundscape before and after the renovation of the square. In this work, we present the soundscape and acoustic clime of the square at the ante-opera stage. Moreover, a comparison with a park will be carried out for a better understanding. The park will be a useful “reference” being a green area impacted by railway and traffic noise. The square monitoring was performed in late May 2023 using 4 level meters and 7 Song-Meter-Micro and the measurements lasted two weeks. The pocket-park monitoring was performed in early June 2022 using 1 level meter and 1 Song-Meter-Micro and lasted one week. Differences in soundscape and acoustic clime are highlighted with a particular focus on noise source contributions and their impacts.