With global urbanization rapidly rising and the increasing need of high-quality built environments, the requirement of achieving improved sound quality, both for outdoor and indoor environments, has received a lot of attention. This Special Issue collection reflects the current state of the art, with 12 papers covering environmental acoustics
the influence of soundscapes on people's behavior
soundscape pleasantness estimation
tranquility
perceived quality of sonic environments
sound and vibration-related health complaints concerning tramways
and the disturbance of construction machines
as well as in building and room acoustics, including natural ventilation-enabling façade noise control devices
the effect of external shading devices
rating method of airborne sound insulation
water supply and drainage noise, and the effect of diffusive surfaces in auditoria. Some papers cover research on the engineering aspects of sound and vibration, such as sound propagation and noise control techniques, as well as perception aspects of sound, such as indoor acoustic comfort and environmental soundscapes. The book is prefaced by Prof. S Wu, entitled 'Sustainable Urban Sound Environment'.