[shados]

A big issue IMO is that cities insist on having one size fit all noise ordinances, and then use "guts feeling" to enforce it, or have "ambient noise" clauses to justify where they are enforced. That means without a LOT of research, you can never really know whats acceptable in an area, and you certainly cannot count on the real estate agent or neighbors to tell you, property value impact and all.

In my town, we have a noise ordinance where the max decibel is way too high for a quiet residential area, but way too low for the downtown neighborhoods. So you get a lot of "You live in a city, expect noise!". But not everywhere in the city is the same! So it's just enforced nilly willy. People can't easily make a choice. Some neighborhoods are obvious, some are not. Some parts of the city are only noisy in summer, some only in winter, and so on.

Noise ordinances should be tied to zoning in some way. Then if people buy a house near a train, they can't bitch about the train noise. At the same time, if someone wants a cheaper house and don't give a fuck about the noise, they just got themselves a great deal!

There's one catch: realistically, most people care about noise to some degree. Once you have it clearly "labeled", properties in less noisy areas will become more expensive and you'll have segregation by income. The rich will live in quiet areas, the poor in noisy ones. Oh, and then people with kids screaming louder than the train will claim it doesn't apply to them (even though 95% of the kids in the area will be doing just fine).

Its a tough problem, but IMO, the easier we make it for like minded people to live together, the better. Right now, regardless of your criterias, if you want to live in an area that meets criteria X for a long period of time, you have to get lucky AND go all NIMBY when things change. It just so happens that things like housing density is the topic of the day.

Zoning laws being absurdly restrictive is often used to explain why not enough is built (eg: single family housing). But if zoning forced skyscrappers, it would be just as restrictive.

[mjevans]

I would really like air exchange systems to be mandated, and the a noise rating that includes testing with windows shut.

If I shut my windows I should NOT be able to hear the kids screaming outside nor other loud outside things (emergency sirens/etc).

[shados]

I wish. I don't even remember the last time I opened my windows. I have a white noise machine, I live with headphones, I sleep with earplugs.

NOTHING stops the sound of kids screaming. Nevermind the jack hammers starting at 6:30 am (because fuck enforcing noise ordinances in a deadend of a usually quiet neighborhood!).

Made worse because I live in a city where even "high end" constructions are made out of cardboard (yeah, I'm planning on moving, but thats not easy, and who's to say the place I move to won't be just as bad?)