What will cities of the future sound like?
As our cities become more tech-focused and automated, sound has the unique ability to unite our experience of urban life and improve our lives for the better. The question is; how to go about it? Roscoe Williamson, Head of Branding at MassiveMusic offers some suggestions
The sound of the city has changed dramatically over the past 300 years. The Industrial Revolution and development of the combustion engine fundamentally changed the sonic landscape for city dwellers. Noise pollution and the detrimental effects it has on the wellbeing of people and wildlife are well documented and the next few decades promise to deliver technological advancements (and all the noises that come with them) at an unprecedented rate.
One might be forgiven for envisaging a dystopian sonic nightmare, just around the corner. Conversely, with the sonic damage already done to our cities, there are opportunities to regenerate whilst simultaneously giving brands and organisations new ways of engaging with their consumers.
In order for our cities to prosper sonically, I see four themes emerging that are set to have the biggest impact:
