It is very difficult to reduce ambient noise level in the downtown. The best method is to improve the sound amenity of the districts, considering concept of soundscape. This study aims to survey the effect of introducing sound and masking to reduce the background noise level. We carried out the evaluating test for 18 introducing sounds varied S/N ratio(-5, 0, +5) in the city riverside. In these test, subjects evaluated the sound environment with five bipolar adjective scales. It was evaluated that introducing sounds improved the sound environment, and that S/N +5 dB was very appropriate to mask the background noise. But the hearing level was suggested to be S/N 0 dB or less.