Noise complaints have steadily risen in Boston over the last two years, from restaurant-goers partaking in outdoor dining to people riding ATVs and dirt bikes in Franklin Park.
Boston Magazine reporter Spencer Buell and noise researcher Erica Walker joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to discuss increasing noise levels across the city, and what a noisy environment means for public health.
Construction noise, live concerts at Fenway Park and an influx of newcomers moving to once-quiet neighborhoods make up many of Boston’s noise complaints, but Buell believes that pandemic-era worries may have contributed to increased noise complaints in the city.
“I think part of what happened in the last few years as well is that part of this is, you weren't supposed to have a lot of people in your house,” Buell said. “So not only are you hearing all of these new yuppies in your neighborhood, playing music at very late hours — you're also in the back of your head saying, ‘Am I living next door to a superspreader?’”
This past year, workers at the Franklin Park Zoo were concerned about the noise levels from dirt bikes, ATVs and loud parties in Franklin Park disrupting animals. Buell said numerous cities, including Baltimore, have created designated areas where people can ride dirt bikes and ATVs in an effort to curb noise.
“I think when you look at a case like [dirt bike and ATV riders in Franklin Park], you have to look at this: the noise is going to happen,” Buell said. “So what are we going to do about it? And where are we going to put it?”
Although some might say that loud noises are inherent to city living, loud environments can cause both short- and long-term health issues.
“When you think about someone's individual perception towards a sound that they encounter in their environment, that too has a bunch of different contributors, like their age, their race, their gender,” Walker said, pointing to sleep issues in children living in noisy environments.
Walker said loud noises can trigger a person's fight-or-flight response. As stress-related hormones get released, they may experience sweaty palms or nausea. And if noises repeatedly trigger that fight-or-flight response, a person may face long-term health issues.
“Over a period of time, that constant stimulation of that stress response can lead to more serious negative health outcomes, like hypertension. Some studies have shown an increased risk of cardiovascular-related mortality,” Walker said. “And then just imagine that you don't have control over that. What do we usually associate with lack of control over your life? That could be anxiety or depression as well.”
Spencer Buell is a staff writer for Boston Magazine. Erica Walker is a noise researcher who founded Noise and the City. She is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown.
