Acoustic and perceptual spatial delimitation in public places - a multi-criteria method

The urban space is modulated in its spatial delimitation by qualitative and quantitative criteria of the built environment and the various atmospheres in which it is situated. This scope and extent, in turn, give rise to a delimitation and a notion of environmental marking boundaries, which encompasses the full diversity of social practices and behaviors that are more or less profoundly modulated by the perceptual aspects of the environment. This is the notion of public space in its environmental dimensions. Urban noise can thus be a marking element, a rupture, a link, or an articulation between spaces that are morphologically or visually incompatible. We can even speak of sonic delimitation of urban space beyond its morphological limits, and this delimitation effectively connects the social practice of urban space with its dimensional aspect. A study conducted on the presence of a fountain as a noise source in the center of a public square clearly supports this marking of space and introduces the concept of acoustic space as opposed to morphological space, which must now inevitably be reconciled in order to better design or manage urban entities. Noise helps to highlight the spatial dimension of public space. It even qualifies the space as closed or open and reinforces the visual perception of the place. The elements that compose the atmosphere or environment must contribute to modifying or requalifying an urban space in its marking and delimitation