Indulgent sounds. Listening to Sonic Strategies to Foster Consumption within Entertainment Neighborhoods

The Covid-19 pandemic deeply affected people’s everyday uses of public space especially within historic centers and commercial streets. Here, the rise of home delivery and e-commerce impacted the attractiveness of a wide range of commercial activities located on street level. This combinations of factors – the shift from tangible to intangible economy – is well manifested by the tendency of contemporary commerce not simply to provide services but also to offer ever-new experiences. Consumers are more and more prosumers: they participate in the creation or production process of goods and services.
From a urban studies perspective, experience economy has turned to be a key topic, whereas attention has been given to cities and neighborhoods implementing entertainment strategies to foster the commercial attractiveness of public spaces. Nevertheless, while such strategies are often successful in shaping a vibrant and inviting atmosphere also thanks to city and neighborhood branding tools, they do not come without a cost. In fact, tourism and entertainment strategies frequently jeopardize the equilibrium between attractiveness (for visitors), quality of life (for residents, workers, and users), and inclusivity (particularly concerning marginalized groups).
Taking a sonic lens to analyze these issues, in this chapter I focus on urban strategies implemented to foster the perceived liveliness and attractiveness of those neighborhoods that have largely invested on entertainment aiming to promote their commercial attractiveness. I discuss this topic drawing from the results of a research project developed in the Quartier des Spectacles (QDS): a neighborhood located in downtown Montreal and central hub of the city’s entertainment activities. In particular, focusing on the QDS sonic environment, I concentrate on the impact of music broadcasted in the pedestrianized streets and parks. I define it as a powerful “sound-based entertainment strategy” affecting not exclusively the neighborhood’s commercial attractiveness, but overall its livability and social inclusiveness.