Does the pandemic quiet the city?

By Alyssa Helmling

 

Due to lockdowns enforced by governments, human activity has been drastically altered across the globe, and perhaps made cities quieter.

Over the past several months, I have been working on a research project focused on noise pollution in Boston during the COVID-19 pandemic. My project aims to analyze differences in noise pollution from before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in iconic urban centers in metropolitan Boston. Using iPhones, I have organized members of our lab to collect data across several different locations that typically experience high noise pollution from traffic, airplanes, or other sources of anthropogenic sound.

This research will test if cities are quieter during the pandemic. I hope my findings can add to the growing body of research on the effect of noise pollution on public health.  

BU campus is full of activity before the pandemic. Source

BU campus has fewer people during the pandemic. Source