From waterscapes to inclusive acoustics: the need for a human-centred approach to improve acoustic environments

Soundscape research seeks to improve acoustics by focusing on perception yet often overlooks perceptual diversity by relying on averaged findings. This article describes work undertaken at Heriot-Watt University, which has been focusing on water-generated sounds in the built environment as complements to conventional noise mitigation, and highlights recent attention to neurodivergent and noise-sensitive users.