Moving noise action planning towards more environmental health equity. Five propositions
Natalie Riedel, Heike Köckler, Gabriele Bolte
Abstract
European noise policy is originally committed to the precautionary principle of environmental planning, aiming at high environmental health standards. Recent assessments of the European Noise Directive report an increase of traffic and an under-estimation of health effects, however. In addition to traffic-related noise exposure, the European Union faces another serious public health problem: health inequity, with social epidemiological research providing tentative evidence on social and socio-spatial inequalities in noise exposures and health effects. In view of these two challenges, we set out to describe five propositions offering entry points to achieve more environmental health equity through noise action planning.