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This is a claim from one of the militant urbanist YouTube channels. The method used to establish that was using a microphone next to a road. The issue is that

This is a claim from one of the militant urbanist YouTube channels. The method used to establish that was using a microphone next to a road. The issue is that people don't care about the noise on the street nearly as much as they do about the noise inside their dwelling. And car noise doesn't make it inside the houses while people noise does, and, with the dense housing, often originated in the same building. And a microphone outside an apartment complex will indeed fail to record e.g. a fitness enthusiast on top of your bedroom setting an emergency lifting reps record at 3:30 am.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Noise caused by residents of high-density housing is typically well-regulated by community standards and peer pressure. Eight years ago, when I was touring a model unit, I asked the landlady if it was quiet here, and she said yes, other than people coming home from work. And this has proven true. 95% of the time is it peaceful, quiet, and idyllic. I live in very close proximity to 100 other families encircling a courtyard. I often hear swimmers in the pool, but I seldom hear loud amplified music, fights, dogs unduly barking at nothing, or other disturbing noises. I live in a college town, but I do not live in a college community. As such, the city has rather strict and extensive ordinances against noise, such as that generated by parties. Therefore, both the landlady and law enforcement are on our side if we ever have trouble with noisy neighbors. I don't know how it is in other cities. I've heard from friends who lived in Manhattan that sometimes the noise was intolerable, but nothing could be done about it. Perhaps if neighbors don't care about neighbors, that's what happens. We have yet to progress to such anarchy around here, fortunately.
jjj123 3y ago
“And car noise doesn't make it inside the houses” Oh really? I’m sitting inside my apartment listening to car noise right now. Our apartment sits away from the street too, probably 150ft away.
- pandaman 3y ago
  I am sitting in my house 100 feet away from a 4 lane divided street and don't hear a thing.
  - extra88 3y ago
    I'm in the back of my home, on a 4-lane divided city street and with the window facing back open just a crack, I can easily hear the traffic.
    - cassianoleal 3y ago
      I live on a corner of 2 double-track, relatively busy streets. 5th floor. Right now traffic is pretty low, no horns honking, no douchebags with loud mufflers, no sirens. Window open, about 4m away from it at my desk, noise level is 45-55dB. Window closed, 25-27dB. Almost all of it is car noise.
      - pandaman 3y ago
        5th floor? Sounds like you already live in high density housing.
        cassianoleal 3y ago
        High-ish. To the front, where my window faces, there's a small park and then more or less only houses until about as far as the eye can see (a few other buildings but not many, and not quite close. In any case, yes - it's relatively dense and car noise is very high. When I closed the window I could finally hear my tinnitus against the backdrop of near silence. I didn't realise how much the street noise was affecting me either, even though it was constant.
        pandaman 3y ago
        I don't really see a point in complaining about street noise with open windows/doors. You can close them and if you had not been living in an apartment you could have ones that do not pass a lot of noise. Nobody said there is no street noise, it just does not make to the houses because houses in general have means to mitigate it. Unlike apartments, where, even if you have got windows and doors with any sound insulation, you are still exposed to the noise coming through the walls and also people screaming much closer to your windows and doors. A source of noise 10' away from your window projects 100 times more energy on its surface than a source 100' away.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago

Noise caused by residents of high-density housing is typically well-regulated by community standards and peer pressure. Eight years ago, when I was touring a model unit, I asked the landlady if it was quiet here, and she said yes, other than people coming home from work. And this has proven true. 95% of the time is it peaceful, quiet, and idyllic. I live in very close proximity to 100 other families encircling a courtyard. I often hear swimmers in the pool, but I seldom hear loud amplified music, fights, dogs unduly barking at nothing, or other disturbing noises. I live in a college town, but I do not live in a college community. As such, the city has rather strict and extensive ordinances against noise, such as that generated by parties. Therefore, both the landlady and law enforcement are on our side if we ever have trouble with noisy neighbors. I don't know how it is in other cities. I've heard from friends who lived in Manhattan that sometimes the noise was intolerable, but nothing could be done about it. Perhaps if neighbors don't care about neighbors, that's what happens. We have yet to progress to such anarchy around here, fortunately.

jjj123 3y ago

“And car noise doesn't make it inside the houses” Oh really? I’m sitting inside my apartment listening to car noise right now. Our apartment sits away from the street too, probably 150ft away.

pandaman 3y ago
I am sitting in my house 100 feet away from a 4 lane divided street and don't hear a thing.
- extra88 3y ago
  I'm in the back of my home, on a 4-lane divided city street and with the window facing back open just a crack, I can easily hear the traffic.
  - cassianoleal 3y ago
    I live on a corner of 2 double-track, relatively busy streets. 5th floor. Right now traffic is pretty low, no horns honking, no douchebags with loud mufflers, no sirens. Window open, about 4m away from it at my desk, noise level is 45-55dB. Window closed, 25-27dB. Almost all of it is car noise.
    - pandaman 3y ago
      5th floor? Sounds like you already live in high density housing.
      - cassianoleal 3y ago
        High-ish. To the front, where my window faces, there's a small park and then more or less only houses until about as far as the eye can see (a few other buildings but not many, and not quite close. In any case, yes - it's relatively dense and car noise is very high. When I closed the window I could finally hear my tinnitus against the backdrop of near silence. I didn't realise how much the street noise was affecting me either, even though it was constant.
        pandaman 3y ago
        I don't really see a point in complaining about street noise with open windows/doors. You can close them and if you had not been living in an apartment you could have ones that do not pass a lot of noise. Nobody said there is no street noise, it just does not make to the houses because houses in general have means to mitigate it. Unlike apartments, where, even if you have got windows and doors with any sound insulation, you are still exposed to the noise coming through the walls and also people screaming much closer to your windows and doors. A source of noise 10' away from your window projects 100 times more energy on its surface than a source 100' away.