Fundamental Study of Comfort Level of Accustic Environment in Northern Kyushu Coastal Zone

Waterfront areas have recently come into increasing use for various purposes, including activities by the general public, and for residency. At the same time, waterfront area environmental problems have surfaced regarding compatibility with public activities, habitability and general comfort; i. e. problems precisely attributable to the coastal location of waterfront areas. To develop a waterfront area as an attractive space, it is essential to ensure that the area has a comfortable natural environment. In other words, it is important to study how physical factors and phenomena that greatly influence the natural environment, and human beings, are interrelated; and to compile, based on study findings, necessary concepts and techniques for realizing waterfront areas that are urban environments highly compatible with human activities. From the above viewpoint, as a study of the v aterfront environment, basic investigation was conducted in a waterfront area in Northern Kyushu, Japan, to collect data on its acoustic environmental comfort. The investigation involved a survey of local residents' awareness regarding the acoustic environment, the acoustic measurement and analysis of waves and winds along the shoreline, and the examination of the acoustic characteristics of the waterfront area. This paper presents and discusses the results of the survey conducted in a waterfront area in Northern Kyushu.