Quiet areas and the need for quietness in Amsterdam

Abstract

As part of a project on possible policies for quiet areas in cities, a survey was held amongst citizens of Amsterdam. The purpose of the survey was to find out: 1) which (public) quiet places there are, according to Amsterdam residents; 2) what characterizes a 'quiet place'; 3) to what extent do residents want peace and quiet; 4) how do residents realize these needs. This paper focuses on the need for peace and quiet. It presents a model of the determining factors for the need for quiet. This model shows the influence of demographic and socio-economic factors, health-status, sensitiveness to noise, daily-life activities and the noisiness at home and in the surrounding area. The most important determining factor is sensitiveness to noise. Elderly and less healthy people are more often sensitive to noise, though age and health have their own separate influence on the need for quiet. When people have nuisance of traffic, airplanes and the like their need for quiet increases. People with a busy household or neighbourhood report lower needs for quiet. Visiting a quiet place and going outside to walk or bike can have a compensating effect on the need for quiet. This suggests that creating quiet places and enhancing possibilities to recreate in urban environments can have a positive effect on the quality of life in the city.