Dreaming of Urban Sound Parks

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Jordan Lacey was invited by Musica Impulse Centre for Music to write a review of the Klankenbos Sound Forest, a permanent collection of sound installations in open air. In 2015 Musica celebrated Klankenbos' tenth anniversary by putting the collection in the spotlight and holding a series of performances. Lacey's article was published on the Klankatlas blog, a site where authors create reflections about sound art in public space. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: Lacey's reflections on the sound forest are connected to a broader research project investigating new approaches to urban soundscape design. By visiting, analysing and writing about the 15 sound installations in the Sound Forest, Lacey determined new approaches for his practice around employing more robust design methods to integrate sound installations into existing urban park infrastructure. This contributes new thinking around urban soundscape design - rather than designing for the minimisation of noise, urban sound parks design for new, diverse experiences. These reflections extend his urban soundscape design objective of intervening in the city with installations that can improve health and well-being, and extend the 'sonic rupture' concept (sites of creative encounter) into urban planning dialogue. The concept, realised in the blog, will extend into journal articles and ARC opportunities. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The Musica Centre, which manages the Klankenbos Sound Forest, experiments with how changes within a musical environment can lead to new nuances, meanings and experiences. Lacey was invited to contribute a review of Klankenbos based on his specialist knowledge and practice in the transformation of urban sounds into experiences that are restorative, regenerative and capable of producing imaginative responses. It was published on the blog of Klankatlas Platform - a Flemish-Dutch platform curated by 7 different arts and heritage organisations in Belgium and the Netherlands.