Urban noise pollution is increasingly affecting stress, sleep quality and productivity as cities become denser and more connected.
Urban noise pollution is increasingly impacting stress levels, sleep quality and workplace productivity as cities become more crowded and interconnected. In a conversation with The Brew News Managing Editor Shaneer N Siddiqui, Amna Fayaz Khazi, Senior Executive Manager at Europhon Acoustics, shared insights on the growing challenges of noise pollution and the importance of acoustic comfort in modern urban living.
The Brew News: Noise pollution is often called an “invisible health threat”. How serious is the issue becoming in fast-growing cities?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Noise pollution is increasingly being recognised as one of the most underestimated environmental and public health challenges in fast-growing cities. Unlike air pollution or visible infrastructure problems, noise is often experienced continuously in the background, meaning many people do not fully recognise its long-term impact on wellbeing.
As cities become denser, more vertical and more connected, the accumulation of traffic, construction activity, transport systems, commercial developments and high-occupancy environments creates constant sensory exposure throughout daily life. Over time, this can affect stress levels, sleep quality, concentration, productivity and overall mental wellbeing.
Organisations such as the World Health Organisation now recognise environmental noise pollution as a serious public health concern. Studies increasingly show that prolonged exposure to noise can contribute to cognitive fatigue, anxiety, reduced workplace performance and broader quality-of-life challenges.
Today, acoustics is no longer viewed purely as a technical building requirement. It is becoming part of a much wider conversation around healthier and more balanced environments that support both productivity and wellbeing across workplaces, hospitality spaces, residential communities, educational facilities and healthcare environments.
The Brew News: What are the biggest everyday sources of noise pollution in metro cities, and are people underestimating their impact?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: The biggest sources of noise pollution in modern metro cities often come from environments people are exposed to every day, which is why their impact is frequently underestimated. Urban noise pollution is typically continuous and cumulative, making it something people gradually adapt to without fully recognising how much it affects them over time.
Major contributors include road traffic, construction activity, public transport systems, airports, mechanical and HVAC equipment, commercial developments and increasingly open-plan workplaces and public spaces. Within buildings, hard architectural finishes, exposed ceilings, glazing and poor acoustic planning can significantly amplify reverberation and background noise.
Noise pollution is no longer only an outdoor issue. Many people now experience constant sensory exposure indoors as well, particularly in offices, hospitality spaces, retail environments, schools, healthcare facilities and residential towers.
Over time, continuous background noise can contribute to mental fatigue, stress, reduced concentration, communication difficulties, sleep disruption and lower overall wellbeing. In workplaces especially, poor acoustic conditions can significantly affect productivity and focus, even when occupants are not consciously aware of the source of discomfort.
The Brew News: How does constant exposure to noise affect mental health, stress levels, sleep quality and overall productivity?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Constant exposure to noise can have a far greater impact on mental and physical wellbeing than many realise because its effects are often gradual and cumulative rather than immediate.
Continuous exposure to traffic noise, construction activity, mechanical systems and overstimulating environments places the nervous system under constant sensory pressure. Over time, this can contribute to heightened stress levels, irritability, anxiety, reduced focus and difficulty concentrating for extended periods.
Sleep quality is also significantly affected by environmental noise, particularly within dense urban environments. Interrupted or poor-quality sleep directly affects energy levels, emotional wellbeing, memory retention and long-term health.
Within workplaces, poor acoustic conditions can reduce speech clarity, increase distraction and affect communication, making it much harder for employees to focus on cognitively demanding tasks. Research increasingly shows that continuous background noise and reverberation contribute to cognitive overload and reduced workplace efficiency.
This is why organisations such as the WHO now recognise environmental noise pollution as a growing public health concern, with acoustics increasingly viewed as part of a wider conversation around wellbeing and human-centred design.
The Brew News: Can prolonged exposure to urban noise reduce focus and concentration in workplaces, schools and even at home?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Yes, prolonged exposure to urban noise can significantly affect focus, concentration and cognitive performance across workplaces, schools and residential environments.
In workplaces, continuous background noise from conversations, traffic, HVAC systems and open-plan layouts can reduce attention span, increase mental fatigue and make it more difficult for employees to concentrate on complex tasks. Even moderate levels of speech noise can interrupt cognitive processing and reduce productivity throughout the day.
Within educational settings, poor acoustics can directly affect learning outcomes, communication clarity and student concentration. If speech intelligibility is compromised due to reverberation or external noise intrusion, students may struggle to absorb information effectively.
At home, constant exposure to traffic, neighbouring units, construction activity and environmental noise can affect mental wellbeing and focus. As remote and hybrid working become more common, the acoustic quality of residential environments is becoming increasingly important for productivity, relaxation and overall quality of life.
Research and organisations such as the WHO continue highlighting the connection between environmental noise, stress, cognitive fatigue and reduced concentration, making acoustics an essential part of designing healthier environments.
The Brew News: The UAE recorded more than 7,000 noise violations in 2024. Does this reflect growing awareness, worsening urban noise or both?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: It reflects both growing awareness and increasing urban noise challenges.
As cities become more connected and active around the clock, traffic density, construction activity, transport infrastructure and commercial expansion all contribute to rising levels of environmental noise exposure.
At the same time, there is now much stronger public awareness around quality of life, public wellbeing and environmental comfort. Organisations such as the WHO have already identified environmental noise pollution as a growing public health concern due to its direct connection to stress, sleep disruption, cognitive fatigue and reduced productivity.
What is encouraging is that governments and developers are increasingly moving toward more human-centric urban planning and sustainability-led development strategies. Acoustics is gradually being recognised as an essential component of healthy built environments alongside lighting, air quality and thermal comfort.
The conversation is now evolving from simply “controlling noise” toward designing environments that actively support calmness, cognitive comfort and overall human wellbeing.
The Brew News: How are modern architectural trends, such as open-plan layouts and glass-heavy interiors, contributing to poor acoustic environments?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Modern architectural trends such as open-plan layouts, exposed ceilings, minimalist finishes and glass-heavy interiors create visually clean and collaborative environments, but acoustically they can create major challenges if sound behaviour is not considered early in the design process.
Large glazed surfaces, hard flooring, concrete finishes and open volumes naturally reflect sound rather than absorb it. This increases reverberation, speech spill and background noise levels, particularly in workplaces and commercial environments.
Glass partitions are often misunderstood acoustically because many assume transparency automatically compromises sound control. However, high-performance acoustic glazing systems can achieve strong sound insulation while maintaining openness and visual connectivity within modern interiors.
The most successful commercial spaces today are the ones where acoustics, aesthetics, functionality and employee wellbeing are considered together from the outset rather than treated separately.
The Brew News: What practical design solutions can developers, offices and homeowners adopt to create quieter and healthier indoor spaces?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Creating quieter and healthier indoor environments requires a more integrated approach where acoustics is considered alongside architecture, interior design, wellbeing and functionality from the earliest stages of a project.
One of the most effective strategies is reducing excessive sound reflection through absorptive materials, acoustic zoning and high-performance acoustic systems integrated into the overall design language of a space.
Acoustic ceiling systems, wall applications, fabric finishes, soft furnishings, carpets, curtains and acoustic partitioning can dramatically improve speech clarity, concentration and overall comfort.
Spatial planning also plays a major role. Creating acoustic zoning between collaborative and quiet areas, along with introducing buffer spaces and upholstered elements, can significantly improve acoustic comfort.
Ultimately, the most successful spaces today are not only visually impressive, but also environments that support wellbeing, focus, communication and relaxation through balanced acoustic performance integrated directly into the architecture itself.
The Brew News: Looking ahead, do you believe noise management will become as important as air quality and sustainability in future urban planning?
Amna Fayaz Khazi: Yes, there is a very clear global shift toward recognising acoustic comfort as a fundamental part of sustainable and human-centric urban development.
Acoustics is increasingly being viewed not simply as a technical building requirement, but as an essential contributor to wellbeing, cognitive comfort, productivity and overall quality of life.
As awareness continues growing around the relationship between environment and human health, sound management is beginning to be considered alongside air quality, energy efficiency, thermal comfort, lighting and material sustainability within future urban planning strategies.
What we are beginning to see is a transition where noise management is moving away from being treated as a secondary corrective measure and becoming integrated much earlier into architecture, interior planning, material selection and urban design strategies.
Future cities will likely be evaluated not only by how visually advanced or energy efficient they are, but by how effectively they support long-term human comfort, wellbeing and environmental balance, with acoustics playing a major role in that evolution.
