Urban form indicators as proxy on the noise exposure of buildings

The present paper aims to address the problems of the urban environment as an area of interaction between urban forms and urban noise. This interaction is intended to be monitored using urban indicators, by comparing the effects of noise propagation using models of urban forms. The model of noise prediction allowed developing noise studies in facades, resulting in noise levels in a calculation grid located in the building facades. The study will allow the creation of different scenarios and anticipate as early as in the preliminary building design phase, which facades would be exposed to higher noise levels. The effects of noise in facades can then be minimized in advance, by adjusting the layout of the urban typology. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.