Large and medium-sized cities have "noise maps".
"The tradition of quietness in Europe has a history of thousands of years." German cultural scholar Peter Lander told the author that in order to show respect for churches and city halls located in the center of cities, European cities have long stipulated that people should keep quiet in public places and introduced corresponding punishment measures.
This tradition has gradually changed with the rapid development of urbanization. Especially after World War II, European countries have entered the "golden age" of economic development. There are more people in public places, and people's sense of silence has also weakened. At the same time, noise generated by factories, vehicles, airplanes, etc. It's getting worse.
In 1970s, European countries introduced various laws and regulations to combat noise. In 2002, the EU published the EU Noise Guide, which stipulated that all residential areas in Europe with a population of more than 250,000 should draw "noise mapping". Later, London, Paris, Madrid and other cities drew official noise maps to facilitate residents' online inquiries.
Researchers at the Free University of Brussels have also developed a "noise mapping" application that can turn smartphones into noise meters. Users can use the GPS and microphone of smart phones to collect noise information and draw a "noise map" with other users, which is more comprehensive and practical than the official version.
The author observed that these "noise mapping" marked the noise levels of urban enterprises, airports, highways and railways with different colors. If the noise exceeds 75 decibels, the area is listed as the highest level and marked as crimson. The lower the noise, the lighter the color. When buying or renting a house, many Europeans will choose a place according to the "noise map" and try to stay away from the city center, airports, factories and other places.
"WHO stipulates that 55 decibels is the threshold that affects health." German environmental policy scholar Crawford told the author that Bratislava, Paris and Warsaw are cities with serious noise pollution. At present, one in five Europeans is often exposed to noise that is harmful to health.
Silent consciously after 10 pm
The launch of "Noise Map" is only the first step to reduce the noise in European cities. For many city governments, how to manage the noise in urban public places is a problem.
In Germany, except on weekends, city residents are not allowed to talk loudly, play music or hold parties at home after 10, otherwise neighbors can complain to the police. Even on weekends, parties can only be held with the consent of neighbors. Usually, Germans speak very quietly, whether in the street or in shops, for fear of affecting others. European schools and parents educate their children in silence from an early age. When children enter the kindergarten, the teacher will ask them to speak softly in public, be polite and keep quiet. If the child suddenly makes a hullabaloo about, the parents will patiently enlighten the child and give him a book or his favorite toy. Cultural scholar Peter Rand said, "The tradition of silence is the embodiment of public consciousness."
Once, the author sat in the carriage of a high-speed train and listened to music with headphones on. Not long after, an old lady across the street protested and pointed to the "No Loud Listening to Music" icon posted on the carriage. It turns out that my headphones are too loud for her.
What is even more surprising is that the concrete used in the streets of many cities in Germany can "silence" and "swallow" the sound made when the wheels roll. Noise barriers will be widely set up near residential areas and beside highways. Vehicle noise detection is also included in the annual inspection of vehicles. People must be given eight hours to sleep around the airport. Residents use materials such as "silencing exterior wall" and "sound-absorbing wallpaper" to reduce noise.
Britain has its own way to reduce noise. In some cities, it is forbidden to use public broadcasting equipment for entertainment in the streets. There are also some cities that use "soundscape" to control noise. For example, a large stainless steel plate is used to separate the noise area from the railway station, and a large fountain is built in the square in front of the station to cover up the noise.
The night in Seville, Spain is very lively. Every night, people can hear flamenco music not far away, many old people get together to play dominoes, and some bar customers run into the street drunk at night and shout loudly ... Later, a local law was passed: anyone who makes noise in the middle of the night will be fined 3 million euros to 300 thousand euros. Barcelona, on the other hand, has set up many sensors in the urban area to counter the "Eternal Party". If the volume exceeds 100 decibels, you will be punished.
European cities such as Prague, Venice and Amsterdam are all plagued by "over-tourism". Not long ago, Prague formulated rules to deal with tourists' disturbing behavior. If tourists don't keep quiet after 10 in the afternoon, they will face a fine of 400 euros.
Switzerland has long restricted the volume of entertainment venues such as concerts, and even banned the use of dishwashers or lawn mowers on Sundays. The Dutch city of soste is even worse: a local primary school was reported by neighbors because the children were too noisy on the playground, and the government forced it to close on 20 19.
Every city has a "vent area"
While severely punishing noise nuisance, European governments have also introduced a package of policies to rationally plan urban space. For example, by reasonably zoning urban functions and setting up "vent areas", people can make noise and vent their emotions in specific areas or at specific times. Football field is the most popular "venting area" for young people. In Europe, almost all cities have football clubs.
Football club is also called the soul of a city. Whenever there is a league match on weekends, fans will vent their pent-up emotions on the football field for a week. In the 2006 World Cup, Merkel, known as the "chief fan", also shouted at the VIP table "regardless of the image" to cheer for the German team's goal.
Many European companies also have Friday "vent day". For example, on the same day, enterprises will hold karaoke competitions, mud games, make-up parties and organize wrestling competitions. Participants said that they felt very comfortable after exhausting their venting. There are about/kloc-0.000 music festivals in Europe, mostly rock and pop music. Many music festivals are held in the suburbs, avoiding residential areas, where fans can yell at their favorite bands.