Mataró out loud

To address this problem, the EU established a directive that requires cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants to draw up noise maps and action plans every 5 years to identify the most affected areas and implement mitigation measures.

In Mataró, the data collected in 2022 for each street divides noise pollution into 6 sections:

We can think that industrial areas such as the Pla d'en Boet and El Cros industrial complexes are one of the main causes of noise in the city due to the large affluence of heavy vehicles and the sound of machinery during the day; as well as the activity of bars and discotheques during the weekend nights.

But the industrial areas are in an isolated position from the city, so they cannot be considered as one of the main causes affecting the surrounding residential areas.

If we look at the noisiest streets, we find that many of the areas with the most noise pollution are those with direct connections to the entrances and exits of the city, such as Via Europa, Camí del Mig and the N-II.

The streets that absorb outside traffic are the same ones used by the mataronins to move nimbly through the city without having to enter alleyways.

The trend in noise pollution in the streets of Mataró divides the city into two areas.

The north-western neighbourhoods (Cerdanyola, La Llàntia, Cirera, Els Molins, Rocafonda...) concentrate noise in the main streets and on the outskirts, leaving alleys and residential areas in silence. The lack of shops also contributes to the lack of movement.

In contrast, in the south-eastern part of the city there are few streets with less than 65 dB. The Centre and Eixample have dense commercial areas and a lack of large streets that attract mobility. The lack of main streets means that traffic is dispersed between alleyways and most have high levels of noise pollution.

The mobility logic is also applied to public transport: in the outer districts, MataróBus buses run along the main and busiest streets, while in the centre and the Eixample they have to meander through narrower streets.

Traffic and commerce are probably the main causes of noise pollution in Mataró and approximately 96% of the population lives with levels above the 55 dB recommended by the WHO.

The most populated neighbourhoods in Mataró are Cerdanyola and Rocafonda-El Palau, which also concentrate the highest numbers of affected population at the east and west ends of the city.

The proximity to main and surrounding streets and the high population density mean that a larger number of people are affected by the noise caused by the same street, as is the case of Camí del Mig, Ronda Bellavista or Carretera de Mata.

A similar situation exists in Pla d'en Boet, where the neighbours of the residential area find themselves between two main streets, avinguda de Lluís Companys and ronda President Macià, which absorb traffic from the C-32 and the N-II.

In the Centre and the other neighbourhoods, although practically all streets suffer from high noise levels, the population density is considerably lower, as is the number of people affected.

Of the nearly 132,000 inhabitants of Mataró, 10,11% are exposed to noise between 55 and 59 dB; 16,9% between 65 and 69 dB; 30,9% are affected by noise of between 65 and 69 dB; the largest group, with 32,57% of the population suffering levels of between 70 and 74 dB and 6,38% live with noise of more than 75 dB.

If we analyse Mataró's population by age and sex, we can see that high noise levels have a transversal impact on all age groups.

Although the proportions of noise exposure are adjusted to the population size of each age group, people over 70 years of age stand out as the group most exposed to levels above 70dB. 43,5% (7,379 people) live on streets with noise levels above 70dB.

The number of children exposed to high levels of noise pollution is also relevant. 89,1% (20,117 children) live with levels above 65dB. Although the proportions are similar to the other age groups, according to the WHO, children are more vulnerable to noise pollution because it can affect their rest, their ability to concentrate and their cognitive development.

On the other hand, the 17 to 49 age groups are composed by heterogeneous profiles, but they are also the main ones in which two groups that spend many hours at home and are constantly exposed to the noise of their street are to be found: students and teleworkers.

They need low noise levels to ensure concentration for long periods of time and in these age groups 88,9% (50,179 people) live with noise levels above 65dB. If noise exposure is continuous, they are likely to seek alternatives such as libraries or coworking facilities.

Each of the age groups of mataronins has its own characteristics that make noise pollution affect their daily lives in different ways. But where does the noise originate?

In a context like this, where we cannot know exactly what percentage of the noise comes from vehicles, another question arises: is the noise on the streets related to the cars of the neighbours living there, or is there no clear relationship between the number of vehicles registered on each block of houses and the noise that is heard?

At first glance, one might think that the number of vehicles is directly related to the population of each neighbourhood, but this is not the case.

Number of vehicles and inhabitants of Mataró's neighbourhoods

La Llàntia and Vista Alegre are the neighbourhoods with the highest number of cars per inhabitant (55.8% and 59.8%) and outnumber other more populated areas.

On the other hand, Cerdanyola is the area with most vehicles, but at the same time has one of the lowest percentages with only 35.5% of inhabitants owning a car.

The same is true for Rocafonda and El Palau, which, despite being among the most populated neighbourhoods, have percentages of 27.2% and 39.1% respectively.

Although the Open Street Maps data lacks shops and services, the trend in the distribution of shops in the city is well represented.

In the north-western neighbourhoods of the city, shops and services are concentrated in the main streets such as Avinguda Puig i Cadafalch, Via Europa, Avinguda dels Països Catalans and Ronda de Sant Oleguer.

In comparison, the shopping areas in the south-eastern part of the city are more dispersed. The density and variety of shops in the Centre and Eixample also play an important role in attracting residents from the peripheral neighbourhoods of the city and other towns in the region.

The location of city establishments in the streets with the highest levels of noise pollution suggests that, like vehicles, they are possibly one of the most important sources of noise in the city.