California’s population has continually increased from a population just short of 1.5 million to now over 34 million.  In the 10 years spanning the last two US Censuses, the Bay Area's population has increased 13%, just shy of the State's population growth.  While metropolitan sprawl accounted for some of this growth, inner cities have changed also.  Redevelopment of old industrial areas into much needed new housing has occurring at an alarming rate.  For instance, while the Bay Area's population density has grown by 13% in 10 years, San Francisco's South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood has grown by 73%!

Historically an immigrant and industrial area, SoMa was transformed by the dot-com boom. The burgeoning economy and the pro-growth philosophies of the City's Planning Department gave rise to live-work lofts and high-priced condo apartments, sprinkled into an industrial landscape made up of manufacturing and warehouses.  SoMa also serves as a major transportation hub for getting into and out of the city, connecting SF’s downtown financial district, Civic Center, SBC Park, and Moscone Convention Center with the three major freeways (I80, I101, and I280).  Such mixed landuse creates the potential for human exposures to environmental hazards, most notably air pollution and noise.

The map above shows a subset of noise measurements from an on-going study of the relationships between a number of San Francisco's environmental health indicators. Urban noise is not only an annoyance, but disrupts sleep, and is related to hearing impairment, hypertension, and decreased school performance.  Noise may also be related to a broad range of neighborhood-level environmental health issues, such as traffic volume and speed, and related pedestrian accidents and air pollution.

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