The aurality of places. Exploring the relationship between space, sound, and urbanization

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between aurality, understood as spatial perception through listening, and the process of urbanization. The central issue focuses on how changes in the urban environment affect our sonic experience and how active listening can serve as a tool to reinterpret those spaces. Based on questions such as how urbanization influences urban aurality and how critical listening can help rethink these environments, the study seeks to broaden the field of analysis on urban space from a transdisciplinary perspective. The aim is to clarify and expand key concepts such as space, territory, and landscape, integrating them with the notion of ‘aurality of places’. The methodology includes a theoretical review of literature on aurality, soundscape, and urbanization, as well as the analysis of contextual and textual approaches. The study highlights tensions between the referentiality of sound and acousmatic abstraction, exploring how these approaches can enrich urban studies and contribute to a deeper understanding of the sensory experience in built spaces.