With more cars on roads and planes in the sky than ever before, finding truly noise-free places with pure natural sounds has become ever more challenging.

Chris Morgan, host of the radio show The Wild, explores natural silence and the places where human-made noise is not present. He talked with Gordon Hempton, a self-described "sound tracker," and travels with Matt Mikkelson into the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park in Washington to find a place untouched by noise.
"Hempton and Mikkelson have rules for what qualifies a quiet place: free of noise pollution for 15 minutes in the time period between an hour before sunrise and two hours after sunset. Hempton said only about a dozen places in the lower 48 meet that standard," says Morgan.
On the way to one of these spots, in the Hoh Rainforest, Mikkelson discusses the impact that noise has on wildlife, and Morgan notes that the hum from the park’s visitor center is still audible from half a mile away. Because the forest’s birds communicate on a variety of frequencies, such noise can interfere with an integral part of nature.
"As humans, we don’t really realize how sensitive animals are to noise pollution. And so we see that noise pollution impacts animals in some tangible and really scary ways ... We need to start realizing how noisy of a world we’ve created and really take steps to mitigate that and come to terms with that," says Mikkelson.
After they spend time at the site of a "square inch of silence" deep in the forest, Mikkelson notes that quiet and natural silence are important for humans, providing a sense of comfort and a space for reflection. “Like all of us, the silence of the wild is something perhaps we all need once in a while,” adds Morgan.
FULL STORY: The hunt to find just one square inch of silence

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls
The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions