Anyone who's experienced hearing loss or noise sensitivity will appreciate the pioneering efforts of Sownd Affects in the UK, an organization founded by entrepreneur and "audio-inclusive" advocate Marion Marincat. At the age of 26, Marion lost his hearing, and he's turned his loss into something positive. In this episode of Soundproofist, Marion describes how his organization uses data, decibel readings, and design to create spaces and events that are acoustically pleasing without being...
Ingrid Buday founded "No More Noise Toronto!" after enduring a consistent and measurable increase in noise since 2019. She collects data by using noise meters and mapping the results from a public survey she calls "Not 311," where anyone can submit noise and location data. In this episode of Soundproofist, she describes some of the community organizing and data-collection strategies that got the attention of municipal government. Dr. Arline Bronzaft in New York City also joined us for this co...
Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan has a long and diverse history. It could be described as an "East Side - West Side" story, because the neighborhood -- divided by Broadway -- is starkly different on each side. Lucina Chavez-Rosique began measuring and documenting the decibel levels across the neighborhood. She's collecting noise data and resident stories to measure the impact of noise on the community from a socioeconomic point of view. Her goal is to provide actionable...
Topher White uses technology to detect illegal logging in rainforests. You might have seen stories about how he repurposed old cellphones and powered them with solar panels to listen remotely in the forests. While collecting this audio data, he uses AI tools to identify the specific sounds of chainsaws and trucks to send alerts to local officials. His organization, Rainforest Connection, has been successful in reducing illegal logging in protected areas. Now he has a new project underway, ca...
Imagine hearing loud gunfire in your home or school all day long. A community in Cranston, Rhode Island has struggled with this issue for the past few years, and they're protesting against it. Their local police department practices at an outdoor shooting range across the street from a residential neighborhood and a high school. The target practice at that range has increased up to 12 hours per day. Longtime residents are pushing back and asking the department to relocate or to enclose ...