"The Roaring 'Twenties", an interactive soundscape created by a historian of sound, technology and cultures of listening at Princeton, seeks to immerse people in the sounds of 1929 New York City, and demonstrate that noise pollution is nothing new.
Noise pollution isn't a new problem for New York City. At least as far back as the 1920s, researchers were trying to measure and mitigate the city's sounds.
"In 1929, New York’s Noise Abatement Commission outfitted a truck with microphones and sound recording devices to measure the city’s din," writes Emily S. Rueb. "Researchers made more than 10,000 observations on the truck’s 500-mile journey past construction sites with billowing steam shovels and pounding pile drivers, underneath screeching elevated trains and past the cluster of electronics shops blaring music in Lower Manhattan’s 'Radio Row.'”
A new web site seeks to immerse listeners in those sounds.
"'The Roaring ‘Twenties,' as it is called, was created by Emily Thompson, a historian of sound, technology and cultures of listening at Princeton University who has spent many years thinking about how best to present sonic complaints in the Municipal Archives of the City of New York and videos from the Moving Image Research Collections of the Libraries of the University of South Carolina with the hope of getting people into a 1929 state of mind."
“It’s my attempt to build a time machine,” she said.
FULL STORY: Listening to the Roar of 1920s New York
Helicopter Noise Complaints Surge in New York
Residents argue the city and state must do more to regulate the hundreds of flights that criss-cross the area on a daily basis.
Using Tech to Control Noise Pollution
Several cities are piloting programs that use machine learning to identify and understand urban noise patterns and enforce noise ordinances.
Learning About the City by Running for Office
When you are trying to get people's attention, a city feels very different.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)