Dealing with Air Traffic Noise, like dealing with Lot-Splitting/Overbuilding, is about mobilizing the community to exercise political clout

The topic of this post is Air Traffic Noise, a topic that I have addressed in previous posts of some time back; I have not addressed the issue recently.

The following tweet is from @icao :

While air traffic is increasing in Sweden, noise is actually decreasing. @TS_Nyheter explains here how ICAO standards contribute to the fact that “thousands of people are less exposed to aircraft noise today than 10 years ago” – http://www.unitingaviation.com/strategic-objective/environment/reduced-aircraft-noise-in-spite-of-increased-traffic/ … #aviation #sustainability

[End of tweet]

I have not read the article that is accessible from the link in the above-noted tweet. For that reason, I am not in a position to comment about it. The main thing that caught my eye was statement in the tweet that the volume of Air Traffic has increased in Sweden but Air Traffic Noise has been reduced. I do not know if the statement is based on evidence, presented within the context of a solid research methodology, or not.

What I do know is that I have many times, in the last while, encountered the meme that says that some cities, around the world, have found ways to reduce Air Traffic Noise by being politically organized, and strategically astute, about how they deal with the problem. That’s a key point, that has stayed in mind for me, from what little reading I have done, regarding this subject.

Political clout matters; citizens are capable of creating their own strong political presence; no-one else, however, will do it for them; it’s a DIY project, or else it does not get done

The topic of Air Traffic Noise has parallels with the topic of Lot-Splitting/Overbuilding in Long Branch and other Toronto communities. That point is, if you are able to achieve a successful level of political mobilization – at the neighbourhood level in the case of rampant Lot-Splitting/Overbuilding in communities such as Long Branch and Willowdale, and at Regional level (I refer to the Greater Toronto Area, in this context) in the case of Air Traffic Noise – then we have a chance of making things better for the majority of residents, in our local neighbourhoods, and across the GTA.

Otherwise, we Do Not Stand a Chance, and why should we?

I would note in passing that I have the sense that Lot-Splitting/Overbuilding is not an issue in Mississauga. If I am wrong, with regard to Mississauga, please let me know.

Northwest corner of Long Branch: That is where I live, in a fascinating borderland region, between Toronto and Mississauga

As the resident of a borderland area in the GTA (I live at the border of Mississauga and Toronto, close to the Lake Ontario waterfront) I have a keen interest in a personal learning project, much of it based on public meetings that I have attended (and in many cases recorded, by way of audio and video recordings) in the two cities over the past decade.

In this project, part of the focus of a book about local waterfront-communities history that I am working on, I seek to contrast and compare civic engagement, with reference to land-use planning issues, in the two municipalities.

Speaking for myself, this is one of the most interesting learning projects – a form of independent study – that I have encountered. So many interesting things to learn!