Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro from Pexels
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, and Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition
While the United Nations was formed after the Second World War to promote peace through diplomacy, agencies affiliated with the UN have been involved with other actions to enrich the lives of people worldwide. These actions include promoting mental and physical wellbeing, social justice, gender equity, child welfare, aging, crime prevention and control, and environmental health. To achieve these goals the UN has enlisted the services of behavioral scientists.
In June, the UN will celebrate its 75th anniversary, and it was, therefore, an appropriate time to release a book that examines the role of behavioral sciences in the workings of this organization. The book is titled “Behavioral Science in the Global Arena, Volume 1,” and its editors are Elaine Congress, Harold Takooshian, and Abigail Asher.
In the section of the book entitled “Supporting Environmental Health,” Melissa Search and I co-authored the chapter “Reducing Urban Noise.” With noise a growing international menace for cities worldwide, this chapter examines the effects of loud sounds and noise on hearing and overall physical and mental health. Strong research findings support the fact that urban dwellers universally are suffering from the harmful effects of noise. Although there have been actions taken in Europe, the U.S., and other countries to lessen noise, more still needs to be done to lower the decibel levels in our urban centers. The chapter also stresses the importance of enhancing quiet in our lives through urban green areas and parks. Quiet benefits health!
This book has also been published at a time when our world is coping with the coronavirus pandemic. Urban centers have reported less noise from construction, traffic, and nearby music establishments. Residents have also tuned in to birds signing, crickets chirpirng, and soft breezes. One hopes that the pleasures of these sounds, especially while experiencing anxiety and discomfort, will be remembered as we move forward to a time when urban dwellers will once again be engaged in activities that bring about higher decibel levels. Such memories of the good sounds around us might result in ways to lessen the din. Adversity can bring about creativity!
