Linz as Model Acoustic City
Hörstadt
Copyright: Zeidler G Werbeagentur
A part of this Linz09 project is the Linz Charter, an exemplary acoustic urban development program that has already made the leap from the cultural sphere into the political arena.
Being subjected to all sorts of unwanted noise in public spaces has become a virtually unavoidable fact of life. The Acoustic City project is taking action to combat this—for instance, a campaign to establish “sound-bombardment-free” zones, the Akustikon as a space for acoustic R&D, outreach and education, as well as the Linz Charter that is making this city the world’s first to consider acoustics on the political level. Its provisions include acoustic criteria and guidelines in construction ordinances, zoning regulations and traffic & city planning, measures intentionally designed to shape the urban soundscape (above all, to reduce permanent background noise), and fostering hearing skills at educational institutions.Now that the Linz Charter has made it through the city’s Planning Commission, it will be officially enacted in January 2009 by the City Council, and other cities and communities will be called upon to join this campaign.
