Orchestration is an act which focuses on the combining or arranging of sound in a harmonious manner. This means that we may bring sounds to the foreground which have a particular quality, such as the fog horns in the bay at San Francisco. Or we may want to reduce the dominance of one or more sounds, such as the effort to remove street musicians in Portland, Oregon. As modern society creates an increasingly noisy environment, architects try to compensate by raising the sound level of air condition systems to mask noise from outside a building. Developers plant trees or build fences along freeways to block unwanted sound.
Thousands walk or jog around city streets masking out the acoustical pollution with audio headsets.
Environmental sound issues are frequently addressed by seeking temporary solutions to complex problems. A restrictive law may avoid more acceptable alternative options. A community may best be served by preserving those sounds it finds pleasant, or which have a particular cultural value. Other sounds might be added, modified, or if needed - eliminated. Public administrators make most decisions about orchestrating a community soundscape - usually through noise ordinances.