Aural Architecture and Sound Mitigation in Urban Parks: The case of Connaught Place

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-747-7_8How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Aural Architecture; Soundscape; Public Comfort; Sound Mitigation

Abstract

Urban parks located within high-density commercial districts are frequently exposed to intrusive acoustic conditions that compromise their restorative function. This study investigates how principles of aural architecture can be strategically applied to mitigate noise and enhance acoustic comfort in Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi. The research addresses a significant gap in Indian urban design practice, where noise is typically treated as a pollutant rather than as a designable environmental resource. The study focuses on three key aspects: identifying landscape and built elements that influence the park’s aural architecture; examining the relationship between sound sources, spatial configuration, and user perception; and formulating context-specific sound mitigation strategies. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, integrating quantitative sound pressure level measurements, spectrogram analysis, and spatial mapping with qualitative soundwalks and socio-acoustic perception surveys. Findings reveal that persistent low-frequency traffic noise dominates the park’s perimeter, while areas with dense vegetation demonstrate comparatively improved perceptual comfort. The inactive central water feature limits effective acoustic masking, resulting in inadequate attenuation within the park core. Survey responses establish a strong correlation between soundscape quality, emotional response, and patterns of spatial use, highlighting demographic differences in acoustic preference and reinforcing the need for zoning. The study concludes that effective sound mitigation in urban parks requires an integrated framework combining physical attenuation, acoustic masking, positive soundmarks, and perceptually informed zoning. By reframing noise management through the lens of aural architecture, the research contributes both theoretical insights and a practical, replicable design framework for soundscape-sensitive interventions in Indian urban public spaces.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Pardeep Kaur
AU  - Ankit Kumar Singh
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/24
TI  - Aural Architecture and Sound Mitigation in Urban Parks: The case of Connaught Place
BT  - Proceedings of the International Seminar on Designing the Future (ISDF 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 163
EP  - 185
SN  - 3091-4442
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-747-7_8
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-747-7_8
ID  - Kaur2026
ER  -