Water Talks

Project Summary

The Inner Harbor of Baltimore, renowned for its historical significance as a seaport and its current vibrancy as a hub for commerce, tourism, and urban living, forms the focal point of this project. Focused on creating a map to examine noise pollution, this study investigates potential reasons behind the noise issues observed around the harbor. By utilizing open data primarily from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, United States Census Bureau, MD iMap, and first-hand data from self-captured field recordings around the harbor, the project visualizes and analyzes the spatial distribution of noise across the harbor. This analysis also incorporates a range of potential influencing factors such as navigable waterways, nearby seaports, and water-quality data. They will be juxtaposed against broader economic indicators like the area's factory facilities, the density of nearby landmarks, etc. The methodology includes leveraging GIS tools for mapping and spatial analysis and exploring correlations between noise levels and various urban and environmental parameters. Through raw data processing and a variety of GIS analysis techniques, the project identifies noise hotspots and dissects the underlying causes.

Open Data Sources

• Bureau of Transportation Statistics

  • ​Continental U.S. road, freight and passenger rail, and aviation noise

  • MD Noise by Tracts

• Maryland's GIS Data Catalog (MD iMAP)

  • MD Sea Ports

  • Urban Renewal Plan (URP) Zones

  • “Clean Marina” Locations

  • MD Navigable Waterways

  • Point Source Discharges

• United States Census Bureau

  • MD Population

  • ​MD Census Tract

• OpenStreetMap Data

  • ​MD Points of Interests

Ambisonic Audio Data

Following the identification of two noise hotspots (Canton Industrial Area and Fairfield Industrial Area), the second phase of the project involves on-site, first-hand recordings in ambisonics at these locations. These immersive, spatial audio recordings are then analyzed and converted into either spectrograms or simulations of point noise sources, providing numerical sonification data. This step is crucial as it confirms and challenges some of the initial inferences drawn from open data sources. Currently drafting the final report and aiming to offer pragmatic insights for urban planners, policymakers, and the Baltimore community, I am detailing the investigative process and elaborating on the utilization and processing of all resources, suggesting ways to mitigate noise pollution for the enhancement of urban life quality while preserving the historic and cultural essence of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.