Themes / Calm
Calm: a city where you can hear yourself think
As Verity walks through Geneva in 2061, one of the first things she notices is how quiet everything is: no noisy petrol vehicles, only people on foot and on bicycles, and on the lake, sailing boats gliding silently. Calm is one of the most underestimated qualities of a city. Noise causes stress, harms health and is one of the main causes of quarrels between neighbours, while silence helps us rest, think and live together. The ideas below cover calm for the ears, from streets to homes and machines, and calm for the mind, from information overload to public debate.
- Quiet streets Political will About 120,000 people in Geneva live with road traffic noise above federal limits. Walkable neighbourhoods, lower speeds, quiet road surfaces and silent vehicles can bring calm back to the streets, and to the lake. CAL-01
- Quiet homes Done somewhere Good sound insulation, natural building materials and bedrooms on the quiet side of the building make every home a place of rest. CAL-02
- Silent machines Engineering and scale Appliances, tools and leaf blowers can be far quieter than they are today, and directional loudspeakers could keep music and television within your own four walls. CAL-03
- Places of silence Done somewhere Protected quiet areas in parks, silent rooms in public buildings and quiet courtyards give everyone a place to rest, think and meditate. CAL-04
- Pleasant soundscapes Done somewhere Flowing water, birdsong, wind in the trees, church bells and street musicians: public spaces designed for the sounds we love. CAL-05
- Calm for concentration Done somewhere Good acoustics, considerate behaviour and quiet rooms help people learn and think in schools, offices and libraries, and a free decibel app shows where noise is too high. CAL-06
- Less information noise Research frontier Fewer notifications, screens and advertising, and more time to think: calm for the mind, not only for the ears. It takes personal discipline, and platforms that reward quality rather than quantity. CAL-07
- A calmer public debate Research frontier Fewer but better words in politics and the media, where listening is valued as much as speaking, and decisions are sought by consent rather than by fighting. CAL-08