Urban noise is a health issue, an equity issue, and an urban planning / placemaking issue. Unfortunately, it is often an afterthought when we think about creating a healthy urban environment.
The City of Victoria is currently updating its Noise Bylaw, but early input seems to point to allowing more noise, and there is no hint of changes in how we monitor or enforce noise problems. The District of Saanich considered a noise camera pilot project in 2024, but the initiative was not approved.
Exposure to noise is an overlooked element of urban thinking, planning and decision-making. Noise is a significant contributor to health problems from pregnancy complications to cardiovascular disease to mental health issues, sleep disruption, and social disconnection.
On noisy streets, we talk less and retreat into individual bubbles. Headphones and ear buds are an escape mechanism when individuals feel powerless against the wall of urban sound.
Download a sound decibel app onto your phone sometime and take some readings. It’s interesting what you hear – and don’t hear. Heavy trucks, transit and tourist buses, rattling cargo trailers, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, air compressors and power washing units, construction equipment, harbour planes – the cacophony goes on. Add to that ‘special event’ sounds of concerts many blocks away, fireworks (officially authorized and unauthorized) and honking parades. It adds up.
We know the sources of noise in cities, but tend to dismiss them as a necessary element of urban life.
And our exposure to that noise is not equal. As in most aspects of life, relative wealth buys some distance from the negative forces of urban noise. In urban planning, there is great interest in high density residential on transit and bike routes, for good reason. Yet we slip in thinking that all multi-family residential has to be literally right on major arteries, versus the option of being set back on quieter streets (while still within convenient walk/roll distance of transit and bike routes).
Take the simple example of recycling and garbage collection noise. On a side street of single detached homes (with a few duplexes or townhouses), collection happens once every week or two. Residents can enjoy multiple quiet days. Apartments and condos need more frequent collection, and they contract with multiple contractors. In a high density area, the crashing and banging of bins, dumpsters and service trucks is a daily thing – often, more than once per day.
Traffic calming – simply slowing the flow – has a significant, positive, influence on noise and therefore on the liveability of neighbourhoods. Victoria and Saanich have made good progress on more equitable use of streets (think walking, biking and rolling), and those changes have a further positive spin off. In Victoria, streets like Vancouver and Richardson, that were once heavy and noisy with truck and commuter traffic, are now pleasant for conversation. We can now hear birds in the trees along those streets, and they no doubt can hear one another.
The current status quo of complaint-driven noise enforcement is essentially no enforcement. We all know that it’s a waste of time to report that monster truck with its ‘aftermarket muffler’ after it has roared down the street and around the corner. Yet there is now technology to both monitor and enforce noise violations, especially those involving vehicles. Noise cameras, functioning like red light cameras, can detect and fine offenders. What we need is the political will to put common good ahead of individual preferences for loudness.
Gas powered landscaping equipment is another category of noise that begs for local regulation. Small gas engines are a leading source of air pollution. Why do we tolerate them? Gardening companies find their gas units to be the most affordable, and easiest – but what if we created a new, level, playing field (as it were) where electric powered or manual tools were phased in and mandated?
Placemaking is about people enjoying the shared public places in neighbourhoods and wherever they live, learn and work. The intrusion of noise drives us out of our shared spaces, decreases community interaction, and harms us in multiple ways.
So by all means, participate in the latest City of Victoria bylaw review. But let’s also have some conversations with decision makers and civic leaders (if we can find a quiet space or two for conversation) about the bigger implications of urban noise. “Targeted engagement” for the Victoria bylaw “will include construction, industry, hospitality, entertainment and private waste collection sectors,” the City says. So you know that the clammer for more noise, more often, will register with Council(s). Business interests will have their say, so make sure that you have yours.
And remember: 2026 is a municipal election year. Ask every candidate to include a commitment to urban noise management in their platform.
Some of us hope that quieter voices for healthy urban places will also be heard.
Guest Author Bio
Lorne Daniel 
Lorne Daniel was a founder of Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, and is an award-winning consultant. His personal writing site is lornedaniel.ca
Visit Lorne’s Blog / Website: lornedaniel.ca
