The Sounds of Bilbao – La Peña Edition

As part of a framework agreement with the City of Bilbao, we explored the typical sounds of La Peña, a neighbourhood in Bilbao. The goal was to complement an existing technical assessment with a social dimension: identifying places in the neighbourhood through the sounds residents hear and the emotions these sounds evoke. We sought answers to the question: “What does your neighbourhood sound like?” and used this unique acoustic perspective to inform spatial improvement proposals.

Input was gathered through street interviews, workshops with children, a neighbourhood walk, and an online survey. A local advisory group also contributed to the process.

What did we find? Traffic noise (from trains, cars, and motorbikes) on the main streets provokes negative emotions, while natural sounds (birds, river, wind, rustling leaves) are experienced as pleasant. Sounds like children playing, people chatting, and barking dogs are also characteristic but often elicit neutral responses.

Overall, the most representative sounds of La Peña evoke more positive than negative emotions — thanks in large part to the park that stretches across the neighbourhood. As a result, La Peña shows a moderate to high level of perceived acoustic well-being.