Turning down the volume in Benidorm

For many people, the sound of a city is simply part of urban life. Traffic, engines and constant movement become the soundtrack of daily routines. But in Benidorm, the city asked a different question: what if a quieter city could also be a healthier, safer and more liveable one?

As both a Green City Accord signatory and a finalist for the 2028 European Green Capital title, Benidorm is proving that tackling noise pollution begins by rethinking how people move through the city.

Its ambitious Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has transformed mobility, placing pedestrians, cyclists and public spaces at the heart of urban planning. While the initiative contributes to cleaner air and lower emissions, one of its greatest successes has been something people notice immediately: the return of quieter streets.

The project began with careful analysis. In 2018, Benidorm mapped its noisiest areas, identifying traffic hotspots along major access roads and around schools and healthcare facilities. Rather than treating noise as an unavoidable consequence of city life, the municipality decided to address it at its source.

The solution combined intelligent technology with thoughtful urban design.

The city introduced a 74-hectare Low Emission Zone, reducing unnecessary through-traffic in the centre through smart access controls while providing more than 8,000 park-and-ride spaces around the city. Vehicle speeds were lowered in sensitive areas through "Zone 10" streets, complemented by educational speed radars and measures that encourage walking and active mobility.

Together, these actions have fundamentally changed how people experience Benidorm's public spaces.

Today, children walk to quieter schools. Patients recover in more peaceful hospital environments. Residents enjoy streets where conversations are easier and public spaces feel more welcoming.

The transformation is supported by impressive data.

The proportion of residents exposed to comfortable daytime noise levels has increased from 48.9% in 2019 to 87.8% in 2025. At night, almost the entire population—99.96%—now lives in areas with noise levels below 45 decibels, representing a remarkable improvement in acoustic quality over 6 years.

Around educational and healthcare facilities, average noise exposure has fallen by more than 5 decibels. One particularly striking example is the IMED Levante Hospital, where nighttime noise levels dropped from 42.9 dB to just 20.1 dB, creating a significantly calmer environment for patients and staff.

The city's Low Emission Zone has also removed around 2,000 vehicles per day from the urban centre while intelligently managing almost 25,000 access requests during its first year of operation. These changes have contributed to continued improvements in air quality while making the city centre more pleasant for residents and visitors alike.

Local Heroes: The people behind the quieter city

Benidorm's experience shows that creating greener cities is not only about reducing emissions or increasing green space. It is also about improving the invisible aspects of urban life that shape people's wellbeing every day. By reducing traffic noise through smarter mobility planning, the city is creating healthier neighbourhoods where people can live, work and relax in greater comfort.

As a member of the Green City Accord and part of the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards community, Benidorm is demonstrating how European cities can address one of the least visible forms of pollution—and, in doing so, create places that simply sound better to live in. Together, these complementary European initiatives help cities become cleaner, healthier and more sustainable.