New technology should give residents of Antwerp student district more sleep (Antwerp)
The residents of the Antwerp student district have the impression that the nuisance has been converted into a comparison with the corona. The city of Antwerp is now going to try to put a stop to the noise pollution. If the fifteen sound meters in the neighborhood make too much noise, the sound meters occurs.
Sacha Van Wiele
ALSO READ. Technology must muffle nighttime noise in the student district
The Stadswaag and the Ossenmarkt are popular places for students. There are many terraces and catering establishments. They just cause nuisance. Night noise, vandalism and fly dumping disfigure the neighbourhood. According to local residents, the problems are then before the corona period.
“I have the feeling that all the positive evolutions of the past year have simply disappeared,” says Philippe Vosters of the City Campus Neighborhood Committee. We have long ceased to be surprised by young people having fun and walking through the street at night singing. Only now we see making sunshine and then filming it with their smartphone. It’s not just students. Not so long ago a man came through the neighborhood at 1 am with an immense loudspeaker.”
It’s not just about noise pollution. Vandalism is also intended. Residents of the neighborhood testify about young people walking over cars or throwing road signs. “They come here to act like a monkey,” says a resident of the neighbourhood. “Even the operators of the catering industry speak of ‘popping urge’ after corona.”
sound meters
In order to at least do something about noise pollution, the city of Antwerp has started the Neighborhood Noise project. Fifteen sound meters in hanging places on the Ossenmarkt and the Stadswaag, and in the connecting streets. Sensors from the University of Antwerp can also be used in the spacious student area.
The conversations are not conversations, but sounds. Thanks to new technology, the source can be determined: singing students, barking dogs or running trucks. This helps to find the right solution for each source. Neighborhoods can also enter when and where they hear disturbing noises.
The second and innovative part is to encourage people to change their behaviour. There are two screens on the Stadswaag and the Ossenmarkt. If there is too much noise, those present in these squares are urged to be quieter. It’s not just negative messages. When it is quiet, a smiley of “On behalf of 112 residents, thank you” appears.
“We are guided by De Behavior Club”, Erica Caluwaerts (Open Vld alderman for Innovation. “This team consists of social psychologists, communication and behavioral scientists. It is mainly intended to work preventively. In addition, we want to get a clear picture of the problems. With this innovative innovative project, the city wants to restore the balance in the student neighborhood and the tasteability project. If the evaluation is positive, we can also focus on other squares where there is noise pollution. Other cities can also learn from our next one.”
The project should have started in March, but now it runs from June to October. This is the quietest period, except for the month of October, due to the exams and the summer holidays. “Student life will explode again from the end of September,” says Caluwaerts. “It offers us the opportunity to compare different periods in the district.”