Social Sounds

A blog post by James Littlejohn.

CTC23 – the future of the City.  A new theme to explore. After introductions, initial ideas were sought for the Miro board – to ease us along Bruce put on some Jazz music. This was to inspire Dimi to put forward an idea on how sounds in a City could be. This post-its gathered interest and the Social Sounds project and team was formed.

Dimi shared his vision and existing knowledge on sound projects, namely, Luckas Martinelli project This would become the algorithmic starting point visualising sound data on a map. The first goal was to using this model and apply it and visualise a sound map of Aberdeen. This was achieved over the weekend but was only half of the visualisation goals.  The other half was to look build a set of tools that would allow communities to envision and demonstrate noise pollution reductions through interventions, green walls, trees plantings or even popup band stands.  An early proof of concept toolkit was produced. The social in social sounds references to community, connecting all those connected by sound and place. The product concluded by show how this social graph could be export to a decision making platform e.g.loomio.org 

What is next?  The algorithmic model needs to be ground with real world sound sensor data. Air quality devices in Aberdeen can be upgraded with a microphone. Also, noise itself needs to be included in the map experience, this can be achieved through a sound plug in of existing recordings. The toolkit needs much more work, it needs to give members of the community the ability to add their own intervention ideas and for those ideas to be visualised on the map, highlight the noise reduction potential or enhancement, permanent or temporary. Much achieved, much to do.