Assessment of noise pollution in the urban built environment

Background Urban noise increasingly threatens quality of life and public health, particularly in Mediterranean cities where seasonal tourism and mobility strongly influence urban activity. Although previous studies have examined spatiotemporal noise exposure, further research integrating long-term stationary and mobile monitoring can improve understanding of seasonal and intra-urban variability in medium-sized Mediterranean cities. Methods a hybrid monitoring framework is applied combining stationary sensors with mobile, bicycle-mounted noise measurements across urban and coastal routes. Sound levels were characterized by using standard acoustic indicators (L eq , L min , L max , L 10 , L 50 , L 90 , and L den ). Stationary measurements were used to examine temporal variation, while mobile observations supported exploratory GIS mapping and seasonal clustering. Clustering solutions were evaluated using pseudo-F statistics and mean silhouette scores, and temporal dependence was examined in the stationary records. Results monthly L eq ranged from 70.4 to 82.5 dB(A) at the urban station, peaking in December, and from 73.4 to 75.5 dB(A) at the coastal station, peaking in July. Morning and afternoon levels were generally higher, although patterns varied by month and site. Mobile measurements revealed sound-level contrasts along sampled cycling routes, with four clusters retained for winter and summer and five for spring and autumn. Conclusions integrating stationary and mobile monitoring reveals temporal and seasonal noise patterns at monitored sites and spatial contrasts along sampled routes, offering an adaptable framework to inform local noise-management priorities and urban environmental and public health planning. Its application in other cities should account for local conditions, measurement characteristics, and sampling coverage.