Beginning in early Spring 2021, and thus slowed by the pandemic, the research started with a preliminary investigation of the Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles (QDS).
I analyzed a series of interviews performed during 2020 (summer throughout fall) by the Sounds in the city team as to gather information on the sonic experience of QDS residents during and after the lockdowns.
The uniqueness of the QDS and the unusually long duration of its festival season – in pre-COVID-19 times – made it a remarkable case to study how the experienced sonic environment of an entertainment neighborhood changed during the pandemic. The research question guiding this phase were threefold: (i) how did the pandemic affect the sonic environment of QDS? (ii) how did it impact the district’s perceived attractiveness and livability? and (iii) what lessons can be learned from the pandemic sonic experiences of QDS residents to inform the district’s future environmental planning and management strategies?
I analyzed a series of interviews performed during 2020 (summer throughout fall) by the Sounds in the city team as to gather information on the sonic experience of QDS residents during and after the lockdowns.
The uniqueness of the QDS and the unusually long duration of its festival season – in pre-COVID-19 times – made it a remarkable case to study how the experienced sonic environment of an entertainment neighborhood changed during the pandemic. The research question guiding this phase were threefold: (i) how did the pandemic affect the sonic environment of QDS? (ii) how did it impact the district’s perceived attractiveness and livability? and (iii) what lessons can be learned from the pandemic sonic experiences of QDS residents to inform the district’s future environmental planning and management strategies?
︎︎︎ outputs
Di Croce, N., Bild, E., Steele, D., and Guastavino, C. (2022) A Sonic Perspective for the post-pandemic Future of Entertainment Districts: the Case of Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, DOI:10.1080/09640568.2022.2100247Researching the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the soundscape of entertainment neighborhoods undergoing transformation, the article investigates the urban sonic environment as perceived over 2020 by residents of the Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles. Focusing on the sonic dimension, the article advances the debate around the factors enhancing or limiting attractiveness and livability within entertainment districts in the pandemic and post-pandemic city.
Acknowledging the lack of discussion on urban post-pandemic recovery especially from a sonic perspective, the article (re)defines what makes entertainment districts both attractive and livable in times of pandemic, as well as for the future post-pandemic contexts. Building on the research findings, the contribution highlights avenues for entertainment districts to consolidate both their attractiveness and livability, ultimately building more cohesive and inclusive identities as well as resilience.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 881822
photo credits Nicola Di Croce