Exploring the Soundscape Perception of Streets: A Thematic Analysis of Focus Groups with Experts

Street soundscapes significantly shape communities’ environmental perceptions, behaviour and urban sustainability. Previous research has mainly focused on physical and acoustic aspects, while limited attention has been given to emotional and behavioural dimensions. This study explores how expert participants perceive street soundscapes through personal, physical, behavioural, and emotional dimensions, using international online focus groups with soundscape experts, urban planners, and policymakers (n = 12). Analysis followed a deductive thematic approach establishing four main a priori themes, with additional inductive coding used to refine these themes. The findings reveal that perception is shaped by contextual, cultural, temporal, multisensory, and environmental affordance factors. Notably, silence was found to carry a dilemma—perceived as either safe or unsafe depending on pedestrian density—and religious and cultural soundmarks were identified as evoking place attachment and belonging, areas largely overlooked in existing literature. These soundscapes were associated with emotional responses, including comfort, safety, restoration, and belonging, and with pedestrian behaviour encompassing mobility choices, coping strategies, and social interactions. Furthermore, seven out of ten Healthy Streets metrics were directly referenced by participants, highlighting the close relationship between acoustic environments and healthy streets design. Future studies should examine cultural, temporal, and spatial street characteristics and their effects on human behaviour and emotional responses.