How to Silence the Noisemakers in Style

Barcelona has for a long time been a hub for noise making. Today, in the hearts of the bustling city, there lies an oasis of calmness. The Plaza del Sol is a perfect spot for an individual to go and rest and maybe meditate. Back then, the place was infested with noisemakers. The reason why the square was faced with this illness is that it had, for a long time, been a favorite spot to hang out and party. It was the number one venue for all the city’s young inhabitants. It’s where friends used to meet to chat and laugh until odd hours. A resident who used to live nearby the spot said that the place was like a permanent party hall. It never lacked occupants. Shops nearby also served as a shred of evidence as they reflected the reputation of the square. They used to sell pizza, beer and other commodities till late hours.

The situation was growing to be unbearable especially for those who lived in nearby apartments. The residents who inhabited the apartments near the square lived with unacceptable noise making for not less than 20 years. Something had to be done. A fabrication laboratory in Barcelona that had over 1,200 workshops around the world allowed individuals to test their new ideas and designs. It also assisted in the building of new technology and products using some cutting-edge tools. Such labs share their innovations online so that if something has been built in Shenzhen, it could also be built in Boston etc.

With the assistance of the European Union funding, the lab managed to build a low-cost, easy to use sensors that could detect noise levels, air pollution, temperature and humidity. Families and friends started to install the devices on their home balconies. This way they were able to show that levels of noise at night were far much higher than the WHO recommendation. With this content, the residents marched to the city council pressing the officials to re-think on the use of the plaza. Something was immediately done. Rubbish Lorries that used to travel at 2300 hours at night to pick rubbish after the party-goers left were scheduled to collect garbage in the wee hours of dawn.

All the steps that offered seats for the party lovers were transformed into boxes for planting trees and flowers. The square is no longer for the party goers. The aid from the fab lab may be the legislative tool that will make all cities to be self-sufficient. The gadget can assist residents to grow crops for food and also offer the technology to fight urbanism.