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Description
Traffic noise annoyance is influenced not only by sound exposure levels but also by the spatial characteristics of the urban environment. In urban planning and design, morphological and greenery parameters are commonly reduced to their sound propagation effects, thereby omitting their non-acoustic role in noise annoyance. While numerous studies report effects of the built environment and urban landscape on traffic noise annoyance, a structured synthesis of recent evidence is lacking.This study presents the results of a systematic literature review on the effects of urban morphology and urban greenery on road, rail, and aircraft noise annoyance. Following the PRISMA framework, 59 studies were analyzed, covering morphological characteristics such as façade and window orientation, street width, and access to a quiet side, as well as indicators of urban greenery, including NDVI and view of green.Several morphological characteristics showed consistent associations with reduced noise annoyance, most notably the presence of a quiet side and bedroom or living room orientation. A view of the road was, in some cases, associated with lower annoyance, suggesting a potential role of source visibility. Indicators of urban greenery were generally associated with reduced annoyance, although effect direction and magnitude varied by noise source and level, with less consistent or even reversed effects observed for aircraft noise and at high road traffic noise levels.Overall, the findings demonstrate that urban morphology and greenery act as meaningful contextual modifiers of traffic noise annoyance and calls for their joint, rather than independent, consideration in noise-sensitive urban planning and design.