The ability to understand and account for diverse neurological responses to external stimuli, such as urban noise, is becoming increasingly crucial in the context of neurodiversity. Neuroatypical individuals, including those with sensory hypersensitivity, experience marked discomfort in the face of noise, underscoring the need for a more sustainable and welcoming urban environment for all residents.
Neurodiversity is receiving increasing attention. People whose neurological systems, or in simpler terms, the brain, function differently are described as neuroatypical. These are people with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, autism spectrum or ADHD. Some people will say it's a fad, some will say it's simply that we have the courage to get tested and say we have a diagnosis. It is estimated that up to 20 percent of the Polish population is on the spectrum of neurodiversity. Noise, a common part of life in large cities, plays an important role in our sensory experience and can have a significant impact on our mental health. For people with sensory hypersensitivity, noise can be particularly troublesome, leading to increased stress levels and pronounced discomfort. If we had to find one term to describe the problems experienced by atypical people, it would be stimulusintensity1.
Noise pollution poses a serious threat to public health
Although I'm talking mainly about neurodiverse people, probably many typical people would agree that they are bothered by noise in the city. It is the most significant environmental factor contributing to disease in the European Union, right after polluted air2. The problem is so important that the European Commission has taken notice, mandating action to reduce the impact of noise by 2030. The Commission uses the phrase "noise pollution" explicitly here. This is excessive exposure to sounds above thresholds set by the World Health Organization. The WHO recommends that long-term exposure to traffic noise should not exceed 53 dB during the daytime and 45 dB at night to avoid negative health consequences.
Noise limits at the legislative level are decided by a decree of the Minister of the Environment. The current legal limits on noise levels in Poland are too high and inconsistent with WHO recommendations. Legal changes allowing increased values took place in 2012. During the preparations for the soccer Euro, there was a massive expansion of infrastructure, and the Minister of the Environment raised traffic noise standards. As a result, in large cities today the average sound level reaches 70 dB during the day and slightly less at night - up to 65 dB. Noise pollution can cause many negative effects on human and environmental health, such as hearing damage, sleep disorders, stress, increased blood pressure, heart and blood vessel diseases.
sensory violence
One does not have to be a neurodiverse person to feel the effects of allowing such policies. In the literature, we can even encounter a statement about "sensory violence. "3 What for most people is simply unbearable noise, for atypical people can be just quite exclusionary. It is becoming necessary to understand and address the various neurological responses to external stimuli, such as urban noise, in order to provide a more balanced and welcoming urban environment for all residents.
Photo of a street and pedestrian crossing - an exclusionary, noisy space with no place to rest
© Magdalena Milert
Neuroatypical people often face difficulties in processing environmental cues due to exposure to excess sensory stimuli, unpredictability or instability. Urban design, however, is not about prohibiting movement. Well-designed spaces are capable of combining multiple functions. Arterial streets should be fenced off with tall greenery, bustling commercial streets complemented by a backdrop of intimate passages and squares, allowing for a moment of peace. This approach to design is implemented by Magda Mostafa, an architect who designs for people on the autism spectrum. She calls it sequencing. It involves creating logical sequences of spaces that are predictable, taking into account daily routine movement schedules. The acoustic environment should also be controlled to minimize noise, including that occurring as echoes or reverberations - so familiar from many new housing developments, built too tightly, where sound from the backyard carries like a well. The level of acoustic control should, of course, vary from place to place, but it is natural to think that in restful spaces the level should be lower.
Although the designer uses the term sequencing mainly in the design of schools, translating these principles into urban planning, could have tangible benefits for most people, fitting in with both the trend of slow living and juxtaposing living in noise with research findings talking about health consequences (sleep problems, increased stress levels, impaired concentration and even permanent hearing damage). Being surrounded by nature also seems to be a natural calming influence, and architecture that takes greenery into account seems a natural choice in this time of climate crisis.
for action
Cities for neurodiverse people don't have to be an invention, and some changes are already being seen. The City of Surrey in Canada provides a sensory-friendly environment for public events such as Canada Day celebrations. The Design Trust for Public Space, meanwhile, is creating the Neurodiversity City project, which aims to create public spaces that are open to diversity and inclusivity. The creators are drawing on the experience and knowledge of neurodiverse self-advocates while building a broad coalition of partners. They identify, define and qualify spaces and propose policy changes in key areas where these ideas can be scaled and expanded. In Poland, implementation of policies can be seen mostly in spots - for example, in quiet hours in stores and museums. These are specially designated hours during which sensory stimuli are reduced. Music and announcements are muted, and lighting is dimmed. In particular, stimulants that can be stressful or overwhelming for people on the autism spectrum are reduced. Guidelines are also emerging for creating workplaces suitable for neurodiverse people. Among the places that meet these criteria, for example, CIC Warsaw coworking is recommended. Both neurodiverse and neurotypical adults have similar needs. Many strategies tailored to neurodiverse people also take into account the needs of typical people. In educational settings, addressing the needs of neurodiverse students often inadvertently addresses the needs of neurotypical students as well. As Differing Minds founder Jessica Meredith mentions, creating separate spaces in the same room, incorporating soft and tactile elements, considering standing desks and promoting movement can be beneficial to all, creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
Picture a wide sidewalk, separated by a greenbelt from the street, with a bench in the corner - a place to rest.
© Magdalena Milert
While private places, such as buildings, are slowly being adapted to make them accessible to neuroatypical people, public spaces continue to require changes. This is a very problematic issue, as it becomes an insurmountable barrier to leave the house here. Many places, despite the use of various facilities, thus continue to be inaccessible. The research directly cites a general reluctance "to venture into public spaces" due to fear of sensory overload4.
Among the rules of movement for neurodiverse people, avoiding crowds of people is also an important element. It is clear that certain situations cannot be designed so that clusters of people do not appear. However, many patterns can be improved. For example, plan the city so that public transportation runs most often during rush hour. In a broader aspect, it will also be about managing space in such a way that services and housing are not far from each other, so that the distance can be covered on foot or by bicycle. Returning to the initial topic, i.e. noise, it is worth adding that it is the abandonment of driving that will contribute most strongly to improving noise levels. To reduce its level, it is worth introducing vehicle speed limits, creating safe, continuous roads for bicycles, as well as using rows of greenery, and acoustically insulating the buildings themselves. Remember that public spaces are only accessible if they can be used in a meaningful way by the entire community.
Magdalena Milert
- J. Erbel, Neurodiversity in urban spaces and policies, [in] Human Rights Cities. Inspirations. Good practices. Tools, Gdansk-Gdynia 2022, p. 89.
- O. Hänninen, Environmental Burden of Disease in Europe: Assessing Nine Risk Factors in Six Countries, Environmental Health Perspectives 2014, 122(5), pp. 439-446.
- A. Rzepkowska, In the city and in the countryside. On experiencing space in autism - an anthropological reconnaissance, [in:] D. Kasprzyk (ed.), Not only about the countryside.... Sketches in the humanities dedicated to Professor Maria Wieruszewska-Adamczyk, University of Lodz Publishing House, Lodz 2013
- Autism Planning and Design Guidelines 1.0 Knowlton School Of Architecture City And Regional Planning Program Supported By: The Ohio State University Knowlton School Of Architecture Autism Living Attempt 1.0 August 2017 - December 2018.
