Many cities around the globe face the problem that their public places like parks or squares are too noisy. This essay is going to discuss the reason for this challenge and elaborate on a potential solution. In my point of view, the noise pollution around public places is mainly driven by intense traffic and I believe, that local governments could improve the situation by redeveloping the design of the places.
Since most of the public places of a city are located in the city center, alongside the main traffic routes, parks and square can become quite loud. The intense traffic, which is mainly caused by cars, omits a lot of noise. Consequently, the inherit goal of parks and squares, to provide a facility to unwind, is not achieved. I experienced this kind of situation as I travelled to New York in 2017 and visited the Central Park. Due to the noisy sounds of car horns and motor engines, I was not able to fully enjoy the scenic views of the park. So I believe that a potential solution must come with a concept on how to handle intense traffic around the places.
Therefore, I suggest that public places are redeveloped to cope with the challenges of car traffic. Cities could decide to only allow pedestrians and cyclists to use the roads around the parks or squares. By doing that, the noise pollution will decrease significantly and local citizens can start to enjoy their local places. For instance the city of Barcelona decided to rededicate its main road, so that cars were not allowed to enter the road anymore. The decision have been well received by the local population and significantly increase the quality of life.
In conclusion, a lot of recreational areas are heavily polluted by noise and the intention of these places, to provide a places to unwind, cannot be accomplished. Since car traffic can be identified as the main root cause for the high level of noise around public places, local governments could try to redevelop the adjacent roads to tackle the issue of noise.