Urban Soundscape Installations for the Diversification of Acoustic Ecologies: an Ecosophical Approach

Urban soundscape installations applying ecosophical approaches challenge homogeneity by creating diverse acoustic ecologies, where acoustic ecologies are understood as the subjective experiences of listeners immersed in variable sound environments. In environmental ecology homogeneity threatens diversity through the spread of destructive agents (weeds, feral animals, aircraft noise); similarly, homogenising agents in urban soundscapes (mediatisation, motorised traffic and ventilation systems) threaten the diversity of social ecologies and mental ecologies. This paper describes two public soundscape installations that challenge homogenisation by creating multiplicities of acoustic ecologies through transformations of everyday sounds for the diversification of social ecologies and mental ecologies.