The alleviating role of residential green on road traffic noise annoyance: insights from the RESTORE project

Long-term exposure to noise is linked to various adverse effects on human health. Growing evidence suggests that residential green spaces can positively influence a wide range of health outcomes. Noise annoyance is a key factor examined in the literature in this context. We present findings from two large-scale studies conducted in Switzerland (combined <em>n</em>= 3,340 participants), one in the city of Zurich and one nationwide. Road traffic noise annoyance data was collected and regressed on exposure to (a) road traffic noise and (b) residential green around participants' home location. Higher exposure-response curves were found for the nationwide sample compared to the Zurich sample. Importantly, more residential green was associated with lower annoyance at comparable road traffic noise exposure. These findings highlight the positive, mitigating influence of natural green on negative noise-induced outcomes.