Comparative verification of noise prediction results in open urban spaces using microscale computational simulations

With the rapid growth of urban areas, achieving sustainable urban development poses a major environmental challenge, particularly due to noise pollution, which is strongly influenced by urban morphology. In this context, noise mapping plays a key role in assessing acoustic impacts. However, when applied to open, small-scale environments, methodologies originally developed for macroscale analyses reveal limitations, highlighting the need for deeper investigation into the accuracy and suitability of different simulation tools. This study compares four software tools used for sound field simulation: CadnaA (v4.5.149) and SoundPLAN (v9.1 Standard), which are oriented toward environmental acoustics, and RAIOS (v7.0) and Odeon (v11.23), which are focused on room acoustics. Sound Pressure Level (SPL) results showed that RAIOS 7 and SoundPLAN produced similar frequency response patterns, with SoundPLAN yielding slightly lower levels. CadnaA aligned with RAIOS 7 at low frequencies but displayed a distinctive mid-high frequency peak. Odeon presented the highest overall SPL values, particularly at low and mid frequencies, likely due to its default indoor modeling assumptions. These differences emphasize the importance of selecting the appropriate simulation method for outdoor microscale scenarios. Future work will compare simulation results with in-situ measurements to identify which software and methodology most accurately represent the studied space.