Noise regulations and practices: a survey of Quebec municipalities

While municipal regulations are a primary means to manage noise concerns, little research has been done on the main shortcomings of municipal noise regulations and how they are approached by municipal professionals. To address this gap, we reviewed 109 noise-related regulations from 74 Quebec municipalities and surveyed 75 professionals from 32 Quebec municipalities to identify potential gaps between noise in regulations and noise concerns in practice. We find a misalignment between the conceptualization of noise in regulations and its operationalization in practice. We formulate recommendations for municipalities to address noise concerns, through regulations and by focusing on the city-user experience.