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Description
Potential environmental noise from future transportation expansion, driven by urbanization and traffic growth, poses significant risks to human health, making it urgent to predict and quantify. In contrast, urban parks serve as important spaces for escaping the increasingly noisy urban environment. Previous studies have applied the Tranquillity Rating Prediction Tool (TRAPT), integrating acoustic indicators with visual factors, to assess tranquillity in urban parks. However, with the rapid expansion of light-rail systems and the widespread adoption of theCNOSSOS-EU noise modelling framework in Europe, there is an urgent need to evaluate future soundscape conditions under projected scenarios. This study conducted sound pressure level measurements and photographic surveys at 57 locations within the park. The CNOSSOS-EU framework was applied to predict noiselevels associated with the planned Dublin Luas light-rail extension in Tolka Valley Park. Tranquillity mapping was then performed using the TRAPT and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) under different traffic volume scenarios for 2035 and 2057. The results indicate a general decline in tranquillity ratings across the park. The most affected areas decrease by 5.33 in 2035 and 5.48 in 2057. The median sound pressure level increases from 56.9 dB (2026) to 59.4 dB (2035) and 59.8 dB (2057), with peaks reaching 90.0 dB.