Measuring UAM Social and Environmental Impact: Lessons learned from the MUSE project

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) offers new opportunities for parcel and emergency deliveries, but its integration into cities raises significant environmental and social concerns. The SESAR MUSE project develops a comprehensive Performance Framework to assess these impacts, introducing novel performance indicators for noise, visual pollution, privacy, access, and equity. The methodology combines trajectory generation, high-resolution noise and visual modelling, and dynamic population mapping derived from mobile network and satellite data. Case studies in Madrid on parcel and emergency deliveries illustrate the framework’s application. Results show that noise and visual exposure along with privacy concerns vary significantly with altitude, routing, and traffic density, while access and equity effects depend on operational design and local urban structures. Emergency deliveries provide clear societal benefits through substantial time savings in congested areas, whereas parcel deliveries reveal trade-offs between efficiency and environmental impact. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for UAM stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of validated indicators, realistic thresholds, and participatory governance to ensure safe, sustainable, and socially acceptable drone operations.