Calm for concentration

Geneva in 2061

In 2061, Geneva is a city where people can think. Schools, universities, offices and libraries are designed for concentration, with quiet rooms set apart from busy ones, and respect for other people’s need for quiet is part of everyday good manners. Churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship are open day and night to anyone looking for calm. Building work and roadworks use silent tools and methods, so that nobody has to stop working because of the noise next door.

They entered what seemed to be the main salon where a handful of people were sitting and reading various books or magazines.Grooters, Book 1, Part 16 “2061”

Geneva today

• Children at schools exposed to high levels of aircraft noise read less well: in a study of over 2,800 children near three European airports, each 5-decibel increase in aircraft noise was linked to a reading delay of up to two months in the United Kingdom (The Lancet, 2005).
• In the same study, road traffic noise did not affect reading, but both aircraft and road traffic noise were linked to more stress and a lower quality of life in children.

Where it is already done

• Munich (Germany) replaced its old airport with a new one, and a study followed 326 schoolchildren through the change: those near the old airport improved their reading and memory once it closed, while those near the new airport saw their scores fall.
• Belgium’s national railway has introduced silence zones on its main intercity trains, free of charge in second class, where passengers are asked not to talk loudly or phone and to keep their phones on silent. Nine out of ten users were satisfied, and more than half said they would travel by train more often.
• A free decibel app developed by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health measures noise with an iPhone to within 2 decibels, so anyone can check whether a classroom, office or library is too noisy. Other similar apps for measuring decibels also exist.

A Pattern Language

Related patterns from the book A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander and colleagues (1977), a classic of architecture and town planning.

• 183 Workspace Enclosure: Alexander and his colleagues argue that a place to concentrate needs the right degree of enclosure: a wall behind you, a view out, and protection from noise and passers-by, without being completely shut in.

How far along

Done somewhere A city or country already does it. Geneva only needs to adapt it.

The path to 2061

Milestones proposed for discussion.

1. 2027Every school and university in Geneva measures the acoustics of its classrooms, and the noisiest rooms are treated first.
2. 2031Libraries, universities and offices have clearly marked silent zones, and places of worship begin to open day and night.
3. 2041No school in Geneva is exposed to aircraft noise above the legal limits, and silent construction methods are required near schools, libraries and offices.
4. 2051Calm for concentration is part of the design of every building where people learn or work.
5. 2061Like the readers in Verity’s old book club, people in Geneva can concentrate wherever they need to.

What moves it

Human needs it serves

Open questions

• How can roadworks and building repairs be organised so that nearby schools, offices and libraries can keep working?
• How can students and colleagues be encouraged to respect silent zones, without turning libraries into places of strict control?
• What would it take for places of worship to open day and night safely?

Sources

1. Genève Aéroport: Empreinte sonore, courbes de bruit 2019 et engagements (September 2020, in French)
2. The Lancet, via EurekAlert: Exposure to aircraft noise may affect children’s reading and memory (June 2005)
3. newmobility.news: NMBS/SNCB rolls out silence zones on main intercity trains (September 2024)
4. US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Sound Level Meter App

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