Soundscape analysis of urban public parks in the Brazilian Amazon

Antonio Carlos Lobo Soares

a)

Thamys Conceição Costa Coelhob)

Felipe Melo da Costac)

Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, MCT&I, Belém, Pará, 66.040-170, Brazil.

J. Luis Bento Coelhod)

CAPS, Instituto Superior Técnico, UTL, Lisbon, 1049-001, Portugal.

The city of Belém in north Brazil with 1.4 million inhabitants has beautiful public parks built in the early twentieth century, which were initially surrounded by one floor houses and are now amongst residential, trade and service skyscrapers. The soundscape of four public parks with different areas, refuge of residents looking for leisure, culture and social gathering, were studied. Sound measurements indicate a strong influence of traffic noise, construction works and recreational activities in their soundscapes, while park users identify birdsongs, wind in the trees, nature and quiet. These opposing but complementary results, involving physical and psychological variables in the soundscape analysis of urban public parks in Belém are presented and discussed. The results represent a contribution to the study of "quiet areas" that have been dealt with less frequently in developing countries like Brazil. It is an asset in the urban planning of Brazilian cities, with respect to design for intervention in their public parks, since it adds the sound composition variable in landscaping. By understanding the soundscape and developing guidelines to improve the perceived quality in public parks, this study can provide useful elements of analysis for Brazilian town managers and planners in the recovery of these "refuges" in their urban cities.

1 INTRODUCTION

Founded by the Portuguese 14 meters above sea level in 1616 and now having one million

four hundred thousand inhabitants, the city of Belém in the state of Pará, Brazil, has beautiful

public parks built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which were surrounded by

one floor houses and are now amongst residential, trade and service skyscrapers.

a) email: lobo.soares@ig.com.br b) email: thamyscoelho@gmail.com c) email: fmelo@museu-goeldi.br d)

email: bcoelho@ist.utl.pt

Four urban public parks with areas ranging between 2.6 and 14 ha, with a predominance of

natural elements, mostly vegetation, offering the public a diverse range of leisure activities1,2

were selected for this study: Rodrigues Alves Botanical Garden (RABG), Zoobotanical Park

(ZBP), Republic Square (RES), and Batista Campos Square (BCS). These refuges of the

population of Belém looking for leisure activities, culture and information have been studied

from the point of view of their soundscape

Embedded in a complex urban environment, the soundscape of these parks, as varied as its

environmental context, is studied here from the point of view of their users, either visitor, by

passer or maintenance worker. Two parks (BCS and RES) have a 24 hours open access whereas

the other two (RABG and ZBP) are surrounded by walls and public entrance is controlled. All

are well frequented during the week and even more on weekends. Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 identify

the public parks locations within the fabric of the city.

The results of sound measurements indicate a strong influence of traffic noise, construction

works and recreational activities in their soundscapes, whereas the users identify birdsongs, wind

in the trees, natural sounds and peace. The nuances of these apparently opposing results,

involving physical and psychological variables in the soundscape analysis of urban public parks

in Belém are presented and discussed in this article.

The authors believe these results represent a contribution to the study of "quiet areas" that

have not been considered extensively in developing countries such as Brazil. It is an asset in the

urban planning of Brazilian cities, with respect to design for intervention in public parks, since it

adds the sound composition variable in landscaping.

By understanding the soundscape and developing guidelines to improve the quality

perceived in public parks, this study can provide useful elements of analysis for Brazilian town

managers and planners in the recovery of these "refuges" in their urban cities.

2 METHOD

Preliminary studies were conducted by the authors between 2008 and 2011 to evaluate the

levels of acoustic comfort in public parks of Belém which served as the basis in defining the

method of analysis of the four urban parks.

The methodological approach started by technical visits to the four parks in study, during

week and weekend days, in order to understand differences in the use of the places, to map the

most used locations, to identify the different contributing sound sources, and to observe the

people's behavior and physical conditions both inside and around the parks.

Aiming at a quantitative analysis of the soundscape of the parks, equivalent sound pressure

levels (LAeq) were measured during weekdays and on Sundays using a Bruel & Kjaer 2270 sound

level meter adequately calibrated and a digital sound recorder. The recommendations of the

Brazilian Standard NBR-101513 were dully followed.

Sound levels were measured at 22 points in RABG; at 17 points in ZBP, at 11 points in RS,

and at 9 points in BCS. In the walled parks, external spots were established from the movement

of road traffic, and internal points with concentration of visitors and workers. In the external

spots was assumed that these parks suffer the impact of road traffic, as green areas similar to

those which are engaged by urbanization in major Brazilian cities.

A qualitative assessment was made based on the perception of users and annotations made

by the authors. According to Boubezari and Bento Coelho4, in the quantitative and qualitative

evaluation of the soundscape "... one passes from the representation of the overall noise to the

detail of each source, from global to the local, from the broadband scale of the city to the human

scale of the listening".

A questionnaire was given to workers and users of parks consisting of open questions in

order to identify their district of origin, their education level, the average length of their stay in

the parks, and their perception on the nature of the sounds present in the environment, as well as

on their quality and intensity, and on the pleasantness of the sounds and on the different places in

the parks.

3 RESULTS

3.1 Rodrigues Alves Botanical Garden - RABG

The Rodrigues Alves Botanical Garden (RABG) is formed by a fragment of forest

preserved in one block of 15ha in the Marco’s district, in Belém, northern Brazil. It was created

as a leisure area in 1881, marking what was until then the edge of the town. Its internal

configuration was defined in 1903, divided into four quadrants, as seen in Fig. 1, which house

nursery animals, landmarks such as caves, waterfalls and lakes, and a diversified flora composed

of native and exotic trees. Today, it is part of a complex urban area, whose land use has proved

damaging and increasingly impacting its conservation.

Despite being visited by the city residents every opening day of the week, its green area is

intensely sought on weekends, where visitors can enjoy the natural areas, as well as the

educational and leisure spaces offered by the RABG, as seen in Fig. 5.

Air traffic noise contributions from small aircraft and helicopters are very common, due to

the proximity (1 km) from the Aero Club runway.

Road traffic noise from the outside streets dominate in all measurement sites at the RABG,

both on weekdays and Sundays especially from the A. Barroso Avenue. When the traffic stops at

a nearby traffic light, that contribution diminishes significantly and the sounds of insects and

small urban birds stand out in the overall soundscape.

The most relevant sounds produced by visitors were identified on Sundays, and were made

of talking, laughing, and children playing in areas of public concentrations in the middle of the

park. A difference of LAeq 11.4 dB(A) was registered in the center of RABG (spot 14), where

53,5 dB(A) were measured during the week and 64,9 dB(A) were registered on Sundays.

The sound level differences between the borders of the park, close to the nearby streets, and

interior points were found to be quite marked, between 11 and 23 dB(A). For example, a

variation of 22,7 dB(A) in LAeq was recorded from point 16 in the main entrance where 76,2

dB(A) were measured to point 14, 160 m away located in the center of the park, where 53,5

dB(A) were measured. Therefore, much quieter and more intimate sound atmospheres are created

inside the park, which seem to be well appreciated by the visitors.

In responses of enquires, the visitors described the RABG vegetation and architecture as the

most enjoyable aspects of this park. Many responses were related to a set of natural elements that

are perceived in the environment, such as wind, trees, shadows, sounds of birds and water in

fountains and fish ponds. For 95% of respondents during the week and 100% on Sundays, the

sound quality of the RABG changes for the better when you enter the park. 65% of respondents

during the week and 83% on Sundays found the environmental noise level low or acceptable.

Regarding the degree of discomfort caused by the amplitude of the sound levels, 75% and 81.4%

in the week on Sunday respectively said not to be disturbed.

3.2 Zoobotanical Park - ZBP

The Emílio Goeldi Museum’s Zoobotanical Park (ZBP), founded in 1895, is one of the

most important green areas of conservation, recreation and public education of the city of Belém.

This park is the oldest zoo in the country5, where lots of examples of Amazonian flora and fauna

are found; as well as monuments honoring character of science in the Amazon, and buildings

where collections in the areas of archeology, anthropology, zoology, botany, ecology and earth

sciences are exhibited, see Fig. 6.

This walled park is located between the São Braz and Nazare districts, with 5,4ha

surrounded by a mixture of commercial and residential uses. Theses uses, with the building of

skyscrapers and the natural growing and expansion of the center of Belém bring environmental

consequences to this green space, such as the degradation of the vegetative mass due to the

increasing air and noise pollution, as well as the verticalization of the immediate surroundings of

this park limiting the amount of light reaching the flora.

Soares and Moraes1 showed that the ZBP is located in one of the noisiest areas of Belém,

where values of LAeq between 60 and 70 dB(A) could be measured immediately outside. Road

traffic noise from the streets outside was recorded at different measuring points, shown in Fig. 2,

both on weekdays and on Sundays. The highlights in the ZBP soundscape besides road traffic

noise are the sounds from animals exhibited in cages that make it different from the soundscape

in others green areas of Belém. Among the birds are: macaws, parakeets, parrots, "ararajubas"

and parakeets concentrated in adjacent cages. Among mammals, monkeys, giant otters and

jaguars are those that produce the highest sound levels.

Also in this park the sound level differences between points at the borders, close to the

nearby streets, and at the inside were found to be very marked, around 14,5 to 22,8 dB(A), thus

creating much quieter sound atmospheres inside the park. A variation of 22,8 dB(A) LAeq was

measured in the ZBP during the week, from spot 13 in the Nove de Janeiro St. with 72,9 dB(A)

to spot 10, 140m away located in the middle of the park with 50,1 dB(A). On Sundays, the

variation changed to 14,9 dB(A) between the same points.

For the ZBP visitors, nature, shadow, sounds of free birds and wildlife in cages were

considered as the most enjoyable attractions, including children. For 95% of enquiry respondents

in weekdays and 94% on Sundays the sound quality of ZBP changes for the better when you

enter the park. 68% of respondents during the week and 76.8% on Sunday found the environment

noise level low or acceptable. Regarding the degree of annoyance from the sound level, 71.4%

and 76.5% in the week and on Sundays respectively said not to be disturbed.

3.3 Republic Square - RES

The Republic Square (RES) is an important public space in the city of Belém, dating from

the early twentieth century. Its idealization is attributed to the mayor Antonio Lemos, whose

ideals of modernity and health between the years of 1897 and 1912 permeated the state capital of

urban developments, including the building of squares, parks and woodlands2. It has about 3,6ha,

with the Peace and Waldemar Henrique Theaters, flowerbeds, monuments and bandstands.

This Square is situated between four major districts of the city of Belém: Campina, Reduto,

Batista Campos and Nazare. The first and second having mixed land uses with a predominance

of commercial, administrative and service uses in the immediate surroundings of the RES. The

districts of Nazare and Batista Campos have predominant residential uses, though that is not the

case of the land use near the RES.

During the week, the soundscape of the RES is made of road traffic noise in the surrounding

area, mostly from heavy vehicles and motorcycles. The sound from a store loudspeaker directed

toward the RES was found to be heard within a radius of 90 meters. Sounds from urban birds,

wind in the tree leaves, screaming car washers and also a construction hammer were components

of the square soundscape.

On Sundays, the human movement in and around the RES changes due to a traditional craft

fair that takes place in the perimeter of the square. Although people are attracted to the area

during the week in search of services and commerce, on Sundays they are motivated by the

pursuit of leisure and pleasure, which also attracts a large number of vendors, artists and

promoters that produce sounds, often with very high levels. Musical attractions, utilities, political

rallies, selling of regional and imported products are some of the activities in this public space on

Sundays.

This square is often used on Sundays for government social events, such as health

examinations, provision of official documents and others that contribute to increase the sound

levels in the square, given the large number of people attracted to music shows that accompany

the events. Fig. 7 shows some of RES users.

In this park, the sound level differences between spots at the borders, close to the nearby

streets, and at inside spots were found to be around 11,5 to 12,6 dB(A). A variation of 11,8

dB(A) LAeq was measured in the RES during the week, from spot 4 in the A. Vasconcelos Ave.

with 74,1 dB(A) to spot 9, 145m away located in the middle of the park where 62,3 dB(A) were

measured. On Sundays, no LAeq variation between the same spots was recorded due both to the

reduction in the surrounding traffic and to the increase in the number of people visiting

producing higher sound levels inside the park.

The most enjoyable aspects revealed by the RES visitors are related to the movement of

people and the existence of shops, shows and cultural activities, as well as the contact with

nature. The workers, however, highlighted the movement of people and commercial activities.

As such, the most enjoyable aspects were directly related to the interests of the users of the park

and their expectations.

For 52% of respondents during the week and 86% on Sundays, the sound quality of RES

changes for the better when you enter the same. 70% of respondents during the week and 69,3%

on Sundays, respectively, found the environment noise level low or acceptable. As for the degree

of discomfort from the sound levels, 59,2% during the week and 71,4% on Sundays said not to

be disturbed.

3.4 Batista Campos Square - BCS

The Batista Campos Square (BCS) has about 2.8ha of a romantic garden, overflowing of

native trees, lakes and bandstands, subdivided into four quadrants, as seen in Fig. 4, founded in

twentieth century as a tribute to the Conego Batista Campos, a figure with a military importance

for the history of the state.

This square has no great difference of visiting frequency and use between weekdays and

weekends, thus its region of insertion is fundamentally residential, being used for physical

exercises, meditation, free-walking, and children lounge. The importance of BCS as a public

open space is grounded on its singular architectural symbols, as well as being one of the last

green areas preserved in the troubled center of the city.

In this park, road noise was also seen to be present and dominant. Values of 70 dB(A) LAeq

were measured during the week and a small reduction of 4 dB was recorded on Sundays. Other

sounds contribute to the soundscape of the BCS during the week, by order of importance, the

grunting of herons in tall trees, two water fountains operating in the lake, people walking and

talking on the surrounding sidewalks and small urban birds. In the center of the square 62.4

dB(A) were measured.

The areas with a more reduced incidence of outside road noise, located under the trees near

the water fountains, are those more used for visitors looking for pleasant changes from the

outside noise6. However, measurements taken with the sources of water off recorded values

between 70.4 and 72.5 dB (A) on weekdays and between 64.5 and 70.4 dB (A) on Sundays.

These levels are contributed by the operation of a local school during the week and a nearby

church on Sundays.

On weekends, other sounds are added: bell ice cream and popcorn vendors, children electric

cars, bicycles, dogs barking, children playing, screaming and crying, electronic and live music in

the central area, and advertisement sound cars circulating in the surroundings. This increase of

recreational activities in the center square is responsible for an increase of more than 10 dB on

the overall sound levels on Sundays.

The landscape aesthetics, including the architecture of the monuments and vegetation, and

recreational opportunities for children, see Fig. 8, are the most enjoyable aspects reported by

BCS visitors. In this park, besides the sounds of nature, shading, tranquility and recreation

opportunities, the sale of coconut water was one of the most enjoyable aspects.

For 84% of respondents in the week and 100% on Sundays the sound quality of ZBP

changes for the better when you enter the park. 77,4% of respondents during the week and 61,5%

on Sundays respectively found the environment sound level low or acceptable. Regarding the

degree of annoyance caused by the level of the environmental sound, 71% in the week and

61,5% on Sundays respectively said not to be disturbed.

4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The present stage of research shows that certain aspects of the globalized urbanization of

Belém, present in the four parks studied, contribute to their soundscapes. The location of parks in

the urbanized areas, with the intense surrounding traffic, the presence of building works and the

isolation of its green areas in the mosaic landscape built in concrete are some of the most relevant

features.

The soundscapes in the four parks are contributed by road traffic noise, with emphasis on

motorcycles, noisy engines and brakes, and unregulated urban bus, as well as drivers who over

use the horns as well as automotive sounds. In all cases, noise levels exceed the noise limits

recommended by the Brazilian Standard NBR 10151 either for the day, 55 dB(A), or for the

night, 50 dB(A)3. Further sounds perceived in all parks as disturbing components are those from

noisy cleaning and maintenance equipment, such as lawn mowers, chain saws, pressurized water

washing machines and vehicles, and equipment for waste collecting and transport. All four parks

are affected by noise generated by construction sites located both inside and outside, with the

prevalence of sawing machines and hammers.

Sound level measurements have shown that during the week the noise levels at the park

edges are much higher than those in the central areas due to the large dimensions of the parks. On

Sundays, the opposite situation occurs in all parks studied, especially at the RES and at the BCS,

due to the overload of visitors seeking for recreational activities in the park. However, this

increase on sound levels inside was not perceived by visitors as disturbing or as a degradation of

the sound quality. At the same time, the landscape, the dense vegetation and the large number of

wild animals in captivity at the RABG and at the ZBP attract many urban birds, thereby

increasing the perceived quality of the acoustical environment inside.

Contrary to the other parks, the 5 meters high ZBP outside wall and the new exhibition

building with 10 meters high walls work as efficient acoustical barriers to the outside traffic

noise.

Of the respondents in the four parks, 67% are visitors and 33% are park officers (either

maintenance workers or local sellers). From the point of view of perception of the soundscape,

the workers are more disturbed by the road traffic noise than the visitors, though both considered

it unpleasant. The workers are immersed during more than 7 hours per day in the park

soundscape whereas the visitors are in the park for an average of 2 hours per week, therefore a

visitor finds inside the park a much more pleasant sound climate where the outside road noise

plays a less relevant role than for the worker.

In the open squares (RES and BCS) weekly visiting frequency is higher than in entrance

paying parks (RABG and ZBP). Most of the visitors on Sundays, RES (56%), RABG (58%), and

ZBP (53%), except for the BCS (15%), live in neighborhoods they consider distant (over 10km),

showing they come especially to these places for a purpose.

The presence of natural elements in the parks, such as water fountains or birds, as well as

quieter inner areas, contribute to reduce the perception of the urban road noise and to create a

more pleasant sound climate than in the outside areas. This may explain why a large number of

visitors after mentioning the sounds present inside the parks did not include road traffic noise as

a relevant sound contribution. This percentage varied when the interviews were carried out on the

sidewalks outside, 10 meters away from the road vehicles. This is consistent with the usage of

the urban park as an escape in the urban area for the visitor to rest and to find psychological

restoration.

Although the LAeq values recorded in the four parks are above the limits stated in the NBR

10151, when asked if they perceived any difference in quality and sound intensity between

outside and inside the parks, 82.75% of visitors during the week and 93.7% on Sundays said yes,

regardless of these spaces being protected by a wall or fence (RABG and PZB) or having free

(RS and BCS) or paying entry. Despite of this positive perception of the sound quality at the

moment visitors enter the park, the level of the overall sound was considered as low or

acceptable by 71% of the people, either in the week or on Sundays.

The urban noise, mostly contributed by transportation or construction noise is a part of the

soundscape in cities that can be perceived as an indicator of activity and dynamics by the

citizens. However, it needs to be managed in the sense of non-interference with the urban

sensitive uses and activities7. Urban parks can fulfill this mission, especially in large cities, where

road traffic is intense and the resulting noise levels are high. Belém parks include a number of

natural features, such as wild animals, both free (birds) and in captivity, water fountains that

create specific soundscapes that seem to be well appreciated by visitors who find interesting

landscapes but also the corresponding soundscapes that make a difference to the more aggressive

noise in the surrounding streets. Other parks in the city can use these findings to improve their

soundscapes.

5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research is supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and

Technological Development - CNPq through the grant of two scholarships for science initiation,

and we would like to thank them for their assistance. Part of this work was financially supported

by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

6 REFERENCES

1. Soares, A. C. L. and Moraes, E. “A paisagem sonora do Parque Zoobotânico do Museu

Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém – Brasil”, Proceedings Acústica 2004, Coimbra, p. 20-22,

(2008) (in Portuguese).

2. PRAÇA DA REPÚBLICA–BELÉM–PA. http://www.buscapara.com.br/atrat.php?pg=

atrativo&id=140, (2011).

3. ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE NORMAS TÉCNICAS. NBR 10151: Avaliação do ruído

em áreas habitadas visando o conforto da comunidade – Procedimento. Rio de Janeiro,

(2000) (in Portuguese).

4. M. Boubezari and J. L. Bento Coelho, “Towards Qualitatitive Sound Maps With

Differentiated Sources”, Proc. ICA 2004, The 18th International Congress on Acoustics, April

2004, Kyoto, Japan, I 595-596.

5. Lobo Soares, A. C., Impactos da Urbanização Sobre Parques Públicos: Estudo de caso do

Parque Zoobotânico do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, 2009. MSc. Dissertation (mestrado

em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente Urbano), Universidade da Amazônia (in Portuguese).

6. Lobo Soares, A. C. and Bento Coelho, J. L., “Estudo das paisagens sonoras de dois parques

públicos da cidade de Belém como contributo para a qualidade sonora urbana”, Proceedings

XXIII ENCONTRO DA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE ACÚSTICA, Salvador, Brasil, Maio

18-21, (2010) (in Portuguese).

7. Bento Coelho J. L. “Ruído em Cidades – Estratégias de Gestão e Redução”, Proc. IV

Congresso Ibero-Americano de Acústica/IV Congresso Ibérico de Acústica/European

Acoustics Symposium, Guimarães, Portugal, Setembro 2004, LEA-C 172 (2004) (in

Portuguese).

Table 1 – LAeq measurements in the four parks, in comparison with the levels admitted by the

standardization.

S

pot

NB

R 1

0151

LAeq dB(A)

Spo

t

NB

R 1

0151

LAeq dB(A)

Park Weekdays Sunday

Park Weekdays Sunday

BCS (e) 1 55 66,4 63,0

RES (e) 1 60 66,5 64,8

BCS (e) 2 55 70,0 66,1

RES (e) 2 60 68,6 73,9

BCS (e) 3 55 71,4 68,6

RES (i) 3 60 60,8 72,4

BCS (e) 4 55 70,4 64,5

RES (e) 4 60 74,1 64,6

BCS (i) 5 55 64,6 82,9

RES (i) 5 60 64,8 67,8

BCS (e) 6 55 62,4 66,8

RES (i) 6 60 61,9 63,8

BCS (e) 7 55 69,1 70,0

RES (i) 7 60 61,5 65,4

BCS (e) 8 55 72,5 70,4

RES (e) 8 60 67,7 72,7

BCS (e) 9 55 66,8 69,6

RES (i) 9 60 62,3 64,9

RES (i) 10 60 65,6 62,4

RABG (i) 1 55 66,3 65,8

ZBP (e) 1 55 70,3 65,5

RABG (i) 2 55 62,8 63,4

ZBP (i) 2 55 54,6 55,5

RABG (i) 3 55 61,0 62,6

ZBP (e) 3 55 62,5 61,5

RABG (i) 4 55 70,1 65,3

ZBP (i) 4 55 62,3 58,6

RABG (i) 6 55 69,3 61,7

ZBP (i) 5 55 57,7 54,6

RABG (i) 7 55 58,0 58,3

ZBP (i) 6 55 57,7 54,5

RABG (i) 9 55 53,1 62,1

ZBP (i) 7 55 58,2 59,3

RABG (i) 10 55 53,1 62,8

ZBP (i) 8 55 63,2 59,6

RABG (i) 11 55 54,4 58,1

ZBP (i) 9 55 57,5 58,2

RABG (i) 12 55 52,1 53,4

ZBP (i) 10 55 50,3 52,1

RABG (i) 14 55 53,5 64,9

ZBP (i) 11 55 51,6 60,5

RABG (e) 16 55 76,2 76,8

ZBP (e) 12 55 64,6 63,2

RABG (e) 17 55 75,7 73,3

ZBP (e) 13 55 72,9 67,0

RABG (e) 18 55 72,2 71,2

ZBP (e) 14 55 72,2 67,9

RABG (e) 19 55 76,0 72,5

ZBP (e) 15 55 72,0 69,4

RABG (e) 20 55 66,4 64,1

RABG (e) 21 55 69,9 72,8

RABG (e) 22 55 66,1 64,2

(i) Internal Spot | (e) External Spot

RABG

A) Uepa’s Gymnasium B) Private Building

Fig. 1 – Location of RABG and its main spots of interest.

ZBP

A) Library Clara Maria Galvão; B) Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira

Pavillion; C) Cat’s Cage; D) Domingos Soares Ferrreira Penna Pavillion;

E) Private Building; F) Store;

Fig. 2 – Location of ZBP and its main spots of interest.

RES:

A) Waldemar Henrique Theatre; B) Art Centre Federal University; C)

Republic Monument; D) Main Bandstands; F) Peace Theatre.

Fig. 3 – Location of RES and its main spots of interest.

BCS

A) Private Building; B) José Veríssimo Public School; C) Sta. Rosa

School; D) Private building; E) Drugstore.

Fig. 4 – Location of BCS and its main spots of interest.

Fig. 5 - View of visitors and children's toy, lake and water fountain in RABG.

Fig. 6 – View of library, auditorium and exhibition pavilion in ZBP.

Fig. 7 – Sound sources of amplifier fixed in a bike, bandwagon and stage in RES.

Fig. 8 – BCS's users during the week and on Sundays.