The Sound of Paris: An Environmental History of Noise in the City of Light

This article explores the sonic environment of the city of Paris over the longue durée and considers how certain sounds began to be perceived as ‘noise.’ It assesses how the city’s past habitus conditioned its residents’ way of listening and the evolution in the meanings attached to sound. It argues that perceptions of noise evolved from it being considered a ‘nuisance,’ to being a threat to public health, and finally to being a source of environmental pollution in the twentieth century. It explores why authorities were slow to respond to the problem of noise and how it ultimately came to be regulated. Finally, it shows how a sensory history of a city can successfully be employed to elucidate its environmental history, thus contributing to a broader understanding of the emergence of ‘noise’ as a modern urban problem and as a perceived environmental threat.