Urban Sound Studies

New Horizons for Studying the Urban

Abstract

This paper delineates the history of sound studies as a research field and highlights the connection with urban studies and practices. Throughout their history sound studies have gone through the pre-critical and critical phases, finally forming a post-disciplinary field. From the very beginning sound studies established themselves at the heart of urban issues, which enables us to consider them as an alternative (non-visual) branch of urban studies. Today, sound studies can provide urban studies with instruments to overcome the limitations of visual culture, forming a resource which if ignored is likely to lead urban theorists and practitioners to misguided conclusions and decisions.