A comfortable soundscape perspective in acoustic environmental planning and management: a case study based on local resident audio-visual perceptions

Soundscapes are an important factor related to audio-visual perception and human health; however, research on how local residents perceive the audio-visual environment remains insufficient. This study, therefore, was mainly conducted to examine the effects of sound sources, the sociodemographic factors of the local residents, visual aesthetic quality and quiet landscape experiences on rural soundscapes through on-site and in-home questionnaire surveys focusing on three components of a soundscape. The results indicated that although there were significant differences in the audio-visual perceptions among typical locations, road traffic sounds were the dominant sound category affecting acoustic comfort on site and in memory. The residents’ age affected the acoustic comfort of background sounds and sound marks in certain ways, while positive landscape experiences made sound marks predominantly perceived and the acoustic comfort of each sound category remarkably improved. This study also developed an agile practical soundscape resource optimization process through an audio-visual perceptual investigation.