The ecological validity of soundscape research relies, among other issues, on the selection of measurement sites that are contextually significant to the space under investigation. Traditional site selection methods in environmental studies, while insightful, often lack a structured approach, leading to inconsistency and potential bias in identifying optimal sites for acoustic measurements. To overcome this, we present a novel data-driven approach using Enclosed Tessellation (ET) and unsupervised learning. Our method classifies urban areas to identify locations that best capture the diversity of environmental and acoustic conditions based on urban form, function, and environmental and topographic variables across a city-region. We use purposive sampling to locate these most appropriate sites for acoustic measurements adapted to specific research questions. This approach not only ensures a meaningful range of environmental conditions but also increases the reliability and validity of research findings, thereby improving our understanding of urban health and well-being.

Urban planning increasingly seeks to account for how urban spaces are experienced and interpreted by city dwellers and visitors, yet experiential dimensions remain only weakly integrated into planning decision support. This article presents a proof‑of‑concept implementation of a platial decision support system (PDSS) that structures diverse forms of in situ, human‑generated evidence into a planning‑oriented analytical framework. The PDSS operationalises these observations through four analytical levels of increasing resolution. An environmental context layer, together with aggregated self-reported appraisals, establishes a structural baseline for identifying locations that warrant deeper investigation. Level 1 documents salient sensory cues through visual and acoustic observations, while Level 2 interprets these cues through individual and group-specific sense-making, transforming multimodal observations into shared empirical evidence of experiential conflicts, affordances, and planning-relevant priorities. A conceptual Level 3 situates this evidence within planning deliberation, where it can inform stakeholder negotiation and the implementation of planning measures. The framework is demonstrated using a case study in Würzburg, Germany. Results show that locations with comparable environmental characteristics and aggregated appraisal can nevertheless differ substantially in how they are perceived, interpreted, and prioritised by different user groups. Rather than prescribing planning solutions, the PDSS provides a transparent and scalable workflow that translates multimodal urban observations into shared empirical evidence, complementing established spatial analyses and supporting planning deliberation through structured, context-sensitive, and evidence-informed urban planning.

Zusammenfassung: Städtische Grünflächen sind zentrale Schnittstellen zwischen der gebauten Stadt und Natur und beeinflussen durch komplexe ökologische und sensorische Interaktionen die Biodiversität, die Klimaregulierung und das menschliche Wohlbefinden. Diese Studie untersucht, wie morphologische und ökologische Parameter, wie Baumvielfalt, Bebauungsdichte und Freiflächen, die akustische Wahrnehmung städtischer Umgebungen beeinflussen. Die Datenerhebung fand zwischen Februar und Juli 2024 in Würzburg, Deutschland, sowohl in Parklandschaften als auch in stärker urbanisierten Gebieten statt. OpenStreetMap und Baumkatasterdaten wurden verwendet, um Metriken wie Baumvielfalt, Artenreichtum und stadtmorphologische Attribute zu bewerten. Wahrnehmungsdaten zur Angenehmheit (Pleasantness) und Ereignishaftigkeit (Eventfulness) wurden durch Interviews und Befragungen erhoben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Parks mit einer höheren Baumvielfalt, einer geringeren Bebauungs- und Personendichte und mehr Freiflächen als angenehmer empfunden werden, während dicht bebaute Gebiete als lauter und stressiger wahrgenommen werden. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit einer besseren Integration von Soundscape-Planung in die Stadtentwicklung.