In the past, the rhythm of life in cities was determined by the bugle call or the sound of the town hall clock. Today, we are awakened by the sound of gradually increasing car traffic. The modernists called the street system the bloodstream of the city. Deliveries, commuting - all these, in their view, fed into the urban fabric. No one thought about the amount of space taken up by cars or how mass individual traffic would affect the city's soundscape. Many studies show that the sound environment we live in has a significant impact on our health. It is worth listening carefully to the sounds around us and thinking about how they determine our behaviour. Do we enjoy being outdoors? Are we able to talk freely while walking along the street? Maybe sound is the stimulus that determines our daily choices and behaviours more than we might think?

Joanna Klikowicz