Analysis of a developed model using the soundscape approach within the scope of environmental noise management in education-sensitive areas

In large cities, people face many problems, and environmental factors are among the most significant of these. Noise, as one of the environmental factors, is generally overlooked and often disregarded. In fact, noise is a type of pollution, similar to other environmental pollutants. For people, noise only becomes important when they encounter or are exposed to it. From an individual perspective, people's sensitivity and perception regarding noise come to the forefront in environments where noise exists. Studies on environmental noise have been conducted in schools. However, in these studies, the noise perceptions of students and teachers were evaluated only through noise measurements. The proposed study aims to suggest a model within the scope of environmental noise management using the soundscape approach for determining acoustic comfort, and to develop this model in school environments within the context of education-sensitive areas. The fieldwork within the scope of this thesis was carried out in the Fatih district, which is considered the central part of Istanbul, hosting institutions such as the governor's office and the municipal palace, and where high schools are preferred due to the quality of education offered. In the study, four pilot schools were selected. In particular, in three schools located in areas with high vehicle and pedestrian density, and in one school with relatively lower traffic, students' and teachers' perceptions of noise and their satisfaction with environmental quality were assessed through surveys. In addition to the surveys, noise measurements were conducted in the schools to determine noise levels. Furthermore, weekly 24-hour air quality measurements were carried out in the same environments for PM2.5, PM10, temperature, and humidity parameters. The proposed study thus aims to present a model suggestion within the scope of environmental noise management, using the soundscape approach to determine acoustic comfort, and to develop this model in school environments within the context of education-sensitive areas. Noise measurements and air quality measurements were performed in four high schools, and surveys were conducted. In the noise measurements, LAeq, LCeq, LA10, LA50, LA90, LCeq–LAeq, and LA10–LA90 values were considered, while in the air quality measurements, PM2.5, PM10, temperature, and humidity were taken into account. A total of 846 participants, including 699 students and 147 teachers, took part in the survey. The survey results, measurement data, and mathematical calculations were analyzed using the SPSS program. While sound quality was identified as the dependent variable, a strong relationship between sound quality and sound harmony was found. In addition to SPSS, MATLAB was used with an artificial neural network to reveal the correlation and explanatory power of the model. As a result, in the Education-Sensitive Areas (ESA) model, sound quality can be explained by the harmony of sounds in the environment, general sound satisfaction at school, environmental quality, LA50, humidity, and temperature. This model demonstrates that noise measurement results should not only be considered in terms of objective parameters but also subjective parameters must be taken into account. Based on the literature review, it was found that the proposed thesis study is the most comprehensive and pioneering research conducted in Turkey on noise in school environments using the soundscape approach.