Vol. 15 No. 2 (2024):
Research Article

Citizens as Environmental Sensors: Noise Mapping and Assessment on Lemnos Island, Greece, Using VGI and Web Technologies

Sofianos Sofianopoulos
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
Stefanos Stigas
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
Efstathios Stratakos
Department of Informatics and Telematics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Konstantinos Tserpes
Department of Informatics and Telematics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Antigoni Faka
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
Christos Chalkias
Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
Cartographic background according to the measurements we received from the mobile devices: (a) All Day. (b) Day 7:00 a.m – 7:00 p.m. (c) Evening 07:00 p.m – 12:00 p.m. (d) Night 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.

Published 2024-06-14

Keywords

  • noise pollution,
  • VGI,
  • perception,
  • smartphones,
  • calibration,
  • system
  • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Sofianopoulos, Sofianos, Stefanos Stigas, Efstathios Stratakos, Konstantinos Tserpes, Antigoni Faka, and Christos Chalkias. 2024. “Citizens As Environmental Sensors: Noise Mapping and Assessment on Lemnos Island, Greece, Using VGI and Web Technologies”. European Journal of Geography 15 (2):106-19. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.s.sof.15.2.106.119.
Received 2024-03-04
Accepted 2024-06-05
Published 2024-06-14

Abstract

Noise caused by industrial activities, urban life and traffic has a negative impact on people's health and quality of life. Environmental noise mapping is an important tool to study and address this problem. Through specialized measurement and analysis techniques, it is possible to identify areas at high risk of noise and understand the extent of the problem. This information can be used to develop strategies to protect the population exposed to high noise levels. In this paper, a method for collecting, processing, managing and mapping spatial noise data based on Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and web mapping technologies is presented. The proposed method uses noise pollution data collected from citizens using mobile devices. This includes both on-site measurements and information on users' subjective perceptions, providing a comprehensive picture of the problem. This enables authorities to take into account the individual perceptions and needs of citizens when planning noise mitigation measures, which has not been the case in the inter-national literature to date. To achieve this goal, a prototype of a free and open-source tool called "Noise Pollution" was developed. The proposed methodology and the resulting system are intended to help improve the quality of life in noisy environments and protect the health of citizens. They provide a practical tool for collecting and analyzing noise data and enable the development of noise mitigation strategies for the benefit of the population exposed to high noise levels.

Highlights:

  • Introduction of a novel method to collect, process, manage, and visualize noise pollution data using Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and web mapping technologies.
  • Highlighting the unique approach of combining objective noise measurements with citizens' subjective perceptions to gain a comprehensive understanding of noise exposure.
  • Presentation of the practical application of the developed mobile application on the island of Lemnos, Greece, to demonstrate its potential to improve environmental noise management and enhance citizens' quality of life.

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