Speaker
Description
SonoRezé project (Rezé, France) explores how participatory action research can bridge the gap between expert knowledge and lived experience in urban sound environments through a residents / researchers / elected officials collaboration framework. Conducted in two phases (2021–2025), the project combines citizen-based noise measurements, qualitative investigations, and co-design workshops involving residents, researchers, and public authorities (elected officials and technical city services). A first phase mobilized 130 inhabitants to produce participatory noise maps of sound levels and source typologies, and to identify perceived sound quality. The second phase focused on aircraft noise, leading to the co-production of analyses and awareness-raising indicators highlighting trajectory changes, sleep disturbance, and the underestimation of annoyance in regulatory frameworks. The work also included a reflection on how results should be communicated and disseminated. Complementary surveys and experience-based maps further documented residents’ experiences. Beyond knowledge production, SonoRezé generated tangible outcomes, including new forms of citizen involvement in decision-making and strengthened dialogue with institutions. The project demonstrates that integrating experiential knowledge can reorient acoustic assessment and support more inclusive public action, offering a transferable framework for addressing other sound-related challenges.