Noise is a common problem in cities around the world.
But what do people mean when they talk about noise? What kinds of sounds are considered noise, and in what contexts? How does silencing some sounds, and not others, shape how we live in cities and share space?
In my research, I studied noise in Mexico City, a massive metropolitan area with a population of 21 million. Through my research, I came to think about noise as a problem of living together, as is well-outlined by anthropologist Ana Lidia Domínguez Ruiz. Whether we are talking about sound from road traffic, airplanes, or residential or commercial activities, noise conflicts are fundamentally about whose comfort, health, and sensibilities are prioritized when people live together. At high levels, sound can threaten public health and quality of life. But in everyday life, what people call noise is mostly shaped by context, culture, and individual preference.
Photo of the Zócalo, main plaza in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. Photo by author.
I focused on noise disputes in Mexico City's Cuauhtémoc district. In 2019 and 2020, I worked with residents living with ongoing noise conflicts, especially related to noise from restaurants, bars, and other businesses. I was interested in studying noise in Cuauhtémoc because many of the district's neighborhoods are rapidly changing, or gentrifying. These changes bring new sounds and new ideas about what a neighborhood should sound like. During this process, I also interviewed and observed government officials and staff who were responsible for dealing with noise complaints and noise monitoring efforts. As I learned, efforts to manage noise and failures to do so can shape the character of public spaces and neighborhoods, as well as urban belonging and exclusion.
View of Torre Latinoamericana in Centro Histórico. Photo by author.
View of one of the nightclubs I studied in colonia Juárez, from the street in February 2022. Photo by author.
The UN estimates that by 2050, two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas. As the world continues to urbanize, navigating sound and noise will always be a part of that process. Particularly in disputed spaces, neighborhoods that are being redeveloped or gentrifying, sound conflicts seem more likely. Sound is inherently a side-effect of living in proximity, but a healthy urban sound environment does not necessarily mean a silent one.
About + What’s on this website?
My name is Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell. The materials on this site come from my dissertation research on noise in Mexico City, carried out between 2019 and 2022. (If you’d like to learn more about my other work, you can read more on my personal website). I created this website to share materials from my research, including:
an audio narrative that explains some of the key ideas from my project
four short audio pieces documenting the experiences of different residents in alcaldía Cuauhtémoc
an analysis I conducted of noise complaint data from Mexico City, and
a discussion of approaches to noise in urban spaces