Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

71 Chapter 3: Environmental Noise Topic Box 3.2  Investigation of quiet areas for Limerick city To evaluate the acoustic environment of a principal walkway in Limerick city beside the River Shannon (Figure 3.8), a citizen science and soundscape approach was taken (Jennings et al. , 2023). The project used the citizen science mobile app Hush City to allow the public to evaluate the acoustic environment and the multidimensional experiential qualities of the publicly accessible spaces being assessed. The use of the citizen science mobile app was shown to be a reliable method for evaluating the quality of the acoustic environment. The results demonstrate the potential of using this approach to complement quantitative analyses (based on the review of strategic noise maps) for considering the suitability of locations for designation as quiet areas under the END as well as to help local authorities to identify infrastructural improvements that would benefit the acoustic environment for the public. Figure 3.8  Area of assessment in Limerick City: Clancy’s Strand/O’Callaghan Strand section of the Three Bridges Walk Source: Adapted from Jennings, et al, 2023