Green earplugs

A view into the countryside can reduce noise pollution and provide restful relaxation. Image: Mike Benna for Unsplash - Cars, trains, planes: For two thirds of the European population, traffic noise is part of everyday life. However, the right environment can have a major impact on this nuisance, as Empa researchers have found out. Green spaces in urban areas help to make road and railroad noise less of a nuisance. Only in the case of aircraft noise does this seem counterproductive: the greener the surroundings, the more disturbing the aircraft noise. Through the window, you hear the traffic noise from down the street, a train rumbles in the distance - that is the everyday life for many of us. Almost 75% of the European population lives in urban areas and only a quarter in rural areas.