The objectives of SONYC are to create technological solutions for: (1) the systematic, constant monitoring of noise pollution at city scale; (2) the accurate description of acoustic environments in terms of its composing sources; (3) broadening citizen participation in noise reporting and mitigation; and (4) enabling city agencies to take effective, information-driven action for noise mitigation.
Noise pollution is one of the topmost quality of life issues for urban residents in the United States. It has been estimated that 9 out of 10 adults in New York City (NYC) are exposed to excessive noise levels, i.e. beyond the limit of what the EPA considers to be harmful. When applied to U.S. cities of more than 4 million inhabitants, such estimates extend to over 72 million urban residents.
To learn more about the SONYC project please check out the project website: wp.nyu.edu/sonyc
To read our publications on automatic urban sound classification as well as the development of low-cost, high-quality acoustic sensors, check out the project's publication page: wp.nyu.edu/sonyc/publications