One of Community Noise Lab’s most pressing research agendas is to continue to develop free and accessible noise advocacy tools. Work With Us! is a series of blog posts, which highlights how our lab is working with communities across the nation to address their specific sound and noise issues.
Our first blog involves a discussion with Claire Richardson, a Business Process Analyst with the City of Asheville. Claire talks about the pioneering work the City of Asheville is doing around noise issues and how they are using the NoiseScore app in the process!
Can you tell us a little about your role and position in the City of Asheville?
My name is Claire Richardson and I am a Business Process Analyst at the City of Asheville’s Development Services Department (DSD). Day to day, I coordinate with Development Services Department (DSD) staff to identify, design, test, and roll-out effective, customer-friendly ways of doing business. I work closely with IT staff to evaluate and implement opportunities to better use technology and train staff on new hardware and software solutions.
Tell us a little about your City.
Asheville, NC is a vibrant city of 91,000 located in western North Carolina. Asheville is known for its abundant natural beauty, picturesque downtown, excellent culinary and beer scene and world-class arts. Over 10 million people visit Asheville every year to experience our unique community for themselves.
What community noise issue are you hoping to address by working with Community Noise Lab?
As Asheville continues to develop and grow, the City recognizes the need to revisit and update the current municipal ordinance governing noise. We’ve heard from residents and businesses that the current noise ordinance lacks adequate clarity and does not address key noise concerns. We’re in listening mode right now and meeting with a wide spectrum of residents, business and industrial groups to identify top issues. The Community Noise Lab’s NoiseScore app has been a great tool to help us hear directly from residents about their experiences with noise. Not only are they able to register the sound level of what they’re hearing in their own environment, they can also tell us about their perception of that sound. The live NoiseScore map is already helping us identify areas where noise was previously unknown to be an issue. With more data in hand, we can get a clearer picture of residents’ experiences and develop an ordinance that better responds to current needs.
Why do you think this is an important issue to highlight?
In revising this ordinance, it’s critical that we use data to paint a clear and accurate picture before drafting updates. The NoiseScore app is a great tool for conducting due diligence and has helped us hear from residents from all over the city.
To learn more about the City of Asheville’s community noise work, you can visit:
If you are interested in working with Community Noise Lab, you can contact us, HERE!