URBAN DESIGN AND NOISE MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS SUGGESTIONS IN MARDIN CITY CENTRE

Abstract

Noise pollution has become an increasingly important environmental issue, especially with the acceleration of urbanisation and population growth. In the literature, noise pollution is defined as unwanted or annoying sounds and its negative effects on human health, the environment and social life are emphasised. Traffic noise is the most common source of environmental noise in urban areas. Noise measurements and analyses are important in determining which areas are priority areas in combating this problem. Especially in historical and touristic cities, the effects of traffic noise on both people and structures have become an important research topic. International organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union have set limit values for noise levels. In Türkiye, the Regulation on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise is also accepted as an important reference in this regard. In this context, noise measurements revealed that the main sources of traffic noise in the centre of Mardin were air horns used in motor vehicles, exhausts from blowers, and older vehicle models. The study's key finding was that equivalent noise levels exceeded the regulatory limit values at all nine measurement points in the evening (limit 65 dBA) and at night (limit 60 dBA). The maximum noise level measured, particularly in the evening, was 83.0 dBA, which exceeded the limit value by 18.0 dBA. The maximum level at night was determined to be 78.6 dBA. These findings demonstrate that noise levels have negative psychological and physiological effects on public health and quality of life. Based on these critical findings, detailed proposals for urban design solutions for Mardin city centre were presented at the end of the study.