This is evident from research results from AMS Institute and TU Delft. These are measures that can be useful for both existing and future residential areas.
By building homes in a smarter way, aircraft noise nuisance can be seriously reduced. By using sloping roofs that reflect sound, and by positioning homes in a different way, the noise from aircraft in homes and gardens can be reduced by up to 14 decibels. This is evident from research results from AMS Institute and TU Delft. These are measures that can be useful for both existing and future residential areas. The new insights help to improve the quality of life in the living environment around airports and to design better living environments in the future.
“The initial results of this study are very positive,” says Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers. “As a cabinet, we want more attention for the living environment around Schiphol, and this way of building seems to have serious benefits for local residents. The national government, the province of North Holland and the municipality of Haarlemmermeer are investigating how the next phase of this experiment can take shape, if possible in the form of a sound-adaptive designed neighborhood where people actually live and pilots to transform existing residential areas.”
Urban Comfort Lab
A year ago, the 'Urban Comfort Lab' was set up at the Schiphol Trade Park in the Haarlemmermeer near Hoofddorp. The Urban Comfort Lab is a test setup that simulates homes and is made up of 120 containers. This was used for a year to investigate whether the extent to which aircraft noise can be heard decreases when the design of the buildings and their location changes. The research was carried out by AMS Institute and TU Delft. Other participating parties are the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Stichting Leefmilieu Schiphol (SLS).
Follow-up research: lawns, green walls and trees
The researchers are not done yet. In the follow-up study, they will examine the effect of adding lawns and green walls and planting trees in streets. This will probably reduce the aircraft noise by another three decibels. At a later stage, the effect of this other way of building on temperature and air pollution will also be investigated.
Tackling noise nuisance
The study is part of the government's approach to reduce noise nuisance in the vicinity of Schiphol. In addition to innovative measures such as sound-adaptive construction, the cabinet is working on new rules for aircraft noise. There will also be a sound insulation scheme for homes in the vicinity of Schiphol, in places where aircraft noise is greatest. Another important step was taken in June 2022: the cabinet then decided to reduce the number of flights to a maximum of 440.000 per year. The process is expected to be completed in November 2024, it said Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
