Building configuration, sound-source dominance and soundscape appraisal in educational outdoor spaces: A field study in Perugia

Outdoor educational spaces are shaped by acoustic exposure, sound-source composition and the configuration of surrounding buildings, yet these factors are rarely assessed together. This study investigated 25 outdoor locations associated with school and university buildings in Perugia, Italy, using 3-min binaural recordings and ISO 12913-based questionnaires. A-weighted equivalent sound level and six psychoacoustic descriptors were analyzed together with perceived source dominance and soundscape appraisal. Acoustic exposure ranged from 38.8 to 64.8 dB(A). Traffic-dominated locations generally received less favorable appraisals, whereas natural sounds and contextually congruent human activity coexisted with positive evaluations. Psychoacoustic descriptors captured site-specific features not represented by sound levels alone. Favorable appraisals occurred in both shielded and open locations, suggesting that direct traffic exposure was more relevant than spatial openness alone. The findings support educational soundscape design strategies that combine noise control with management of source composition and spatial context.