Network of sensors will monitor New York City noise pollution
A New York City institution is looking to tackle the city’s massive noise problem head-on
Sounds of New York City, otherwise known as SONYC, is a new multi-year project involving a team of scientists from New York University (NYU) and collaborators at Ohio State University. It is a “first-of-its-kind comprehensive research initiative to understand and address noise pollution in New York and beyond,” and the National Science Foundation recently awarded the project a $4.6 million grant.
“Noise pollution is one of the topmost quality of life issues for urban residents in the U.S. with proven effects on health, education, the economy, and the environment,” said Juan Pablo Bello, the lead investigator of SONYC and director of the Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL) at the NYU Steinhardt School. “Yet, most cities lack the resources for continuously monitoring noise, the technology for understanding how individual sources contribute to noise pollution, the tools to broaden citizen participation in noise reporting, and the means to empower city agencies to take effective information-driven action. SONYC will help address these shortcomings.”