Author(s)

E. Ph. J. de Ruiter

Abstract

Development of brown fields is an essential part of sustainable urban planning. After all, land is a scarce resource. Brown fields are not primarily associated with urban traffic noise impact zones, but they are at least similar. In the present study the development of brown fields means investigating the possibilities to reclaim land in urban noise impact zones that have been or would be sacrificed to traffic noise. Of course, the livability in these areas is not to be compromised. Continuous apartment buildings along main roads can be used to provide noise reduction to the areas in the ‘backyard’ in the first place. In this way they protect land from excessive noise loads. Secondly they offer housing capacity themselves. A continuous atrium can be created by adding a second glass facade to one of the street facades. Research was aimed at the development of tools to stimulate this approach. A few simple methods are presented: •to estimate the screening effect of the first-line buildings with respect to the hinterland, •to assess the acceptability of passages (apertures) through the first-line buildings, •to determine roughly the required measures in the street façades of the first-line dwellings, exposed to high noise levels. Keywords: noise control, compact city, brown fields, urban planning. 1 Introduction Sustainable building is part of sustainable development, \“that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to

Keywords

noise control, compact city, brown fields, urban planning.