New York City noise pollution event: Cities aren’t loud. Cars are loud

Our Car Free Megacities partner in New York, Doug Gordon also known as @BrooklynSpoke joined members of the Park Slope Play Street Campaign on Sunday 22th May at the Fifth Avenue Open Street and Park Slope Play Street event to raise awareness of urban noise pollution caused by cars.

Doug and his team invited members of the public to engage in a mini thought experiment. By interrupting the sounds of the market, street and playground with honks and engine noises they engaged people in conversations about the effects of noise pollution.

Participants wrote their thoughts and reflections and affixed them to a large poster documenting their experience of noise pollution in New York City and shared their ideas and hopes around the benefits of car-free streets. 

As well as raising awareness of noise pollution and Car Free Megacities, the event was timed to support the Park Slope Play Street Campaign, which is currently gathering signatures in favour of turning the 4th Street dead end into a community space. This would see the area transformed into a play street with a climate-friendly park.

Doug said: ‘There is a growing body of evidence that noise pollution generated by cars and traffic isn’t just annoying but unhealthy. Cities aren’t loud; cars are loud. We want to invite people to visualise how the city would sound if it were car free. We want to celebrate the peace, calm, and opportunities for play and recreation that could come from getting cars out of the city and allowing the city to breathe again.’