Action plans and municipal noise reduction plans in Portugal

• Author(s): Cecília Rocha ; Antonio Carvalho
• Date: 2007
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10216/399
• Origin: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
• Subject(s): Ciências Físicas; Física; Acústica, Ciências sociais; Economia; Estudos de gestão; Gestão de áreas urbanas
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: Portuguese

Description

In 2006, following the European Directive 2002/49/CE, the Portuguese government adjusted its legal framework regarding noise, issuing the decree-law n. 146/2006, introducing a new noise indicator (Lden) and period (evening). These two main changes implied the revision of the Portuguese Noise Code and, in January 2007, was approved the third Portuguese noise code (decree-law n.º 9/2007). These two pieces of legislation defined urban forms of occupancy, such as: Mixed Zone, Sensible Zone, Sensible Receivers, Dense Urban Areas and Quiet Areas within or outside city limits for which were settled noise limits regarding two periods of a day: den (daytime-evening-night) and night. In addition, enforced the importance of territorial planning instruments to prevent noise annoyance (noise maps and noise conflict maps) and the need to reduce noise levels wherever they exceeded the established limits (action plans and city noise reduction plans). This paper analyses the development of Portuguese Guidelines for these two noise reduction plans, namely, legal framework, completion deadlines, minimum conflict limits, cost-benefit analysis and the associated administrative and technical procedures. Two cases studies indicative of the median Portuguese cities, are also commented.