Sound levels and propagation model
The colored impact zones on the map are based on the
2023 Manchester Pickleball Sound Mitigation Study,
which measured actual court noise levels and modeled propagation under various barrier conditions.
This map uses the no-barrier baseline.
Sound levels are calculated using standard outdoor propagation: 6 dB reduction per doubling of distance,
anchored to a source level of approximately 90 dB LAFmax at 10 ft from the court surface
(consistent with the study's measured values). The formula applied is:
dB(d) = 90 − 20 × log₁₀(d / 10)
This gives approximate values of ~72 dB at 80 ft, ~65 dB at 220 ft, and ~52 dB at 800 ft —
consistent with the study's field measurements. The color bands correspond to:
- ■ 0–200 ft — >64 dB LAFmax, severely bothersome
- ■ 200–400 ft — ~58–64 dB, very bothersome
- ■ 400–600 ft — ~54–58 dB, bothersome
- ■ 600–800 ft — ~52–54 dB, noticeable
- ■ 800–1000 ft — ~50–52 dB, at threshold
Note: These are peak noise events (LAFmax), not average levels.
Real-world levels vary with wind, terrain, and court activity. Overlapping zones from nearby courts
appear darker on the map to indicate cumulative potential exposure.
Host your own version
This is an open-source single-file web app. Fork it on GitHub to deploy your own
version for any city — no server or API keys required.
Note on API usage: This site uses
Nominatim
for address lookups and geocoding. The Nominatim usage policy requires that high-traffic or
commercial deployments use their own hosted instance or a commercial provider — the public
endpoint is not intended for general third-party use at scale. If you host your own version
of this app, please review the
Nominatim usage policy
and set up your own key or instance accordingly.