The sound of recreational activities is often considered a necessary nuisance of urban economy to be mitigated, especially during nighttime. While urban life must respond to the needs and expectations of both residents and visitors, noise is a particularly contentious topic as it sits at the intersection of concerns on liveability of and vitality and challenges ideas on successful sonic cohabitation. However, research conducted in Montreal’s downtown area shows that the sounds from recreational activities (including festivals and events as well as everyday street life) are not always perceived negatively by residents, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We collaborated with the City of Montreal and Montreal’s public health department (DRSP) to develop ÉcoutezMTL / ListenUpMTL - a mixed methods study aimed at better understanding the complexity of living in the vicinity of vibrant urban neighborhoods, to complement the existing limited, negative portrayal of recreational noise and nightlife in the media, public imagination, and in policy.

In the summer and fall of 2021, we invited residents from downtown Montreal, living in the vicinity of two popular pedestrianized streets (St Denis and St Catherine), as well as in the entertainment district (Quartier des Spectacles - QDS) to take part in a bilingual diary and interview study. Results from over 200 diary entries from 29 participants, and 25 exit interviews showed that the sound of recreational activities is “expected” when living downtown and that nightlife is not the main issue of residents, with most of them using the pedestrian streets or attending the festivals and events in QDS. Complaints center rather around construction work, around a concern for an observed increase in homelessness as well as more punctual noise issues that paint of picture of an area where the challenges of sonic cohabitation lie elsewhere than with the maligned recreational noise.