Soundscape Your Campus! A Case Study of Sound Mapping at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

 Noise pollution in our community can be a tough challenge; it can be a dangerous risk to a person’s health.. In educational area, noise pollution causes uneasy and unfocused in teaching and learning activities for students and teachers. Public facilities such as the city main streets, hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants, and roadways, which are often located nearby campus, are facilities that might contribute to the campus noise pollution. Aside of being the noise source, these public facilities are also subject to the noise pollution itself.

In this study, measurement of the noise level at the boundaries of Universitas Gadjah Mada, located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia was done, especially areas adjacent to public facilities. Soundscape method was used for the measurement and conducted from Monday to Friday during rush hours: 6.50, 11.30, and 16.30. The result of this study is a sound mapping of noise level at Universitas Gadjah Mada area for selected areas, time and days. It is shown that for areas where public facilities exist, have a red scale index (high level of noise) in a range between 55 dB(A) to 100 dB(A).  Characterization of the noise source is obtained in order to provide recommendation of spatial planning for educational institution by reducing the noise level within these ‘red areas’. Noise measurement at Universitas Gadjah Mada using soundscape method was successfully performed and visualized through the noise mappings. A sound reproduction of the collected data was also generated to simulate the spatial perception of the real soundscape experience using 4-channel surround sound.