The acoustic experience of place: An exploration of the soundscapes of three Vancouver area residential neighbourhoods

For virtually everyone there is a deep association with, and consciousness of, the place they grew up, where they live now and the places in which they have had moving experiences. Indeed, places are structured through the processes of everyday life, and are based on day-to-day practices. Through the routines of daily living the everyday environment becomes familiar and known, with place being the personal interpretation of the experiences and meanings that emerge from specific situations in the practices of everyday life. The human experience of place is multidimensional, yet the non-visual dimensions of place, including sound, have received limited attention within the geographic literature. Despite the fact that sound remains a continuous feature of places at a variety of scales there has been little research on its role in the human experience of different places.;The current study examines the role of sound in local residents' experience of place. The soundscapes of 80 residents in the three Vancouver area neighbourhoods of Commercial Drive, False Creek and Ambleside form the focus of the study. Two methods of inquiry are used. First, the temporal and spatial variations in local sounds are presented in brief acoustic portraits. Second, characteristic sounds residents hear as they go about their daily lives are identified, and the role of these sounds as regulators or identifiers of local events and activities is explored using an interpretive approach.;Study findings emphasize the temporal basis of acoustic experience. The occurrence and recurrence of sounds forms an integral component of the character and nature of individual places. The same place is filled with a variety of sounds that remain in a constant state of flux. Through the recognition of recurrent patterns within this flux order is established, and a sense of place defined. Over time, particular patterns or sequences of sound become familiar and not only provide information about local events and activities, but also become invested with affective or mnemonic qualities.;Based on the acoustic experiences of the 80 local residents, the dominant acoustic senses of place are identified for each of the three study areas. For many residents, the typical acoustic experience is one of discrete sounds jammed by the repetitive roar or rumble of traffic flows. The result is a detached acoustic experience of place which for some residents forms part of a deeper alienation from place.