UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

The sound environment and soundscape preservation in historic city centres - the case study of Lhasa

Huang, L; Kang, J; (2015) The sound environment and soundscape preservation in historic city centres - the case study of Lhasa. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design , 42 (4) pp. 652-674. 10.1068/b130073p. Green open access

[thumbnail of soundscape in Lhasa-whiterose version-2018-1.pdf]
Preview
Text
soundscape in Lhasa-whiterose version-2018-1.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

The historic city centre of Lhasa has preserved special types of historic and cultural heritage for various reasons, including strong religious beliefs, preservation policy, and slow globalisation. In addition to visual cultural heritage, the sound environment represents a cultural heritage that requires preservation. This paper presents an analysis of the sound environment of Lhasa's historic city centre based on field investigations and soundwalk measurements during the tourism high season. First, Lhasa's historic urban form and cultural background are introduced. Second, the relationship between the historic urban space and the sounds is investigated according to the sound sources. The sound taxonomy and the cultural meanings of these sounds are examined and identified. Third, the sound environments are evaluated from the perspectives of sound sources and sound changes with time and frequency. The sound pressure level is found to be high in the historic centre, which might affect the sound sources associated with cultural identities. Additionally, significant variations within the centre—both spatial and temporal—that are indentified in the sound pressure levels and spectrums are reflected in the characteristics of local daily life and social activities. Finally, comparisons are made between Lhasa's historic centre and a number of other historic centres and squares. Possible implications of the results and principles of soundscape preservation are also discussed, based on the case study of Lhasa.

Type: Article
Title: The sound environment and soundscape preservation in historic city centres - the case study of Lhasa
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1068/b130073p
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1068/b130073p
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: sound environment, historic city centre, sound, soundscape preservation, Lhasa
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10058634
Downloads since deposit
295Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item