Amsterdam Sounds was a citizen science project in Amsterdam that tested how noise complaints could be mapped, measured and discussed differently. Running from 1 May 2018 to 1 July 2021, it brought together Waag Futurelab, the Municipality of Amsterdam, the Ombudsman Metropole Amsterdam, Sensing Clues and Sensemakers Amsterdam. The project was rooted in a clear local problem: noise pollution is the main source of complaints at the Amsterdam Metropolitan Ombudsman, and city policy has traditionally focused more on traffic noise than on other forms of nuisance.
The project’s method was straightforward but collaborative. Residents and entrepreneurs measured noise at locations identified as high-nuisance areas, using tools developed within Waag’s Smart Citizens Lab, including the open source Amsterdam Sounds Kit. The resulting data were analysed and visualised to create a shared picture of the problem. The project aimed to move beyond isolated complaints and generate a basis for dialogue between citizens, administrators, experts and enforcement bodies.
Amsterdam Sounds also built on earlier measuring projects in the city, such as Smart Citizen Kit and Urban AirQ. Its broader contribution was methodological: it explored how citizen sensing can support environmental governance when local residents help collect the data themselves. According to Waag, this approach was intended to improve trust and open space for new solutions and policy responses tailored to local needs.
The project team listed on the page included Denis Costa, Job Spierings, Judith Veenkamp, Tom Demeyer, Teska Drosten, Alain Otjens and Lodewijk Loos.