Smell and the City 1

How smells enter our experience of the city

As central gathering points for people, products, activities, vehicles and things, cities have famously delivered stimulation to all of our varied senses. Be it the background hum or fore-grounded noise of traffic, the bright lights of promotional hoardings, the feel of the cobbles, concrete or tarmac underfoot, the city incites many forms of physiological and psychological arousal in us all, from delight to disgust, fascination to disregard, happiness to annoyance.

This blog has been developed with a specific focus upon relationships between smell and the city and follows the hosting of an inter-disciplinary workshop on this subject at the University of Manchester on March 19, 2012. The session was attended by 40 participants from across the UK and including academics and students from a wide range of disciplines and institutions, urban designers from the public sector, business people, institutions, artists and cartographers. The session identified a clear need for further research and projects in this field and provided a mandate for those who organised it (Chris Perkins, Dominic Medway, Kate McLean, Gary Warnaby and myself, Victoria Henshaw) to find a way to harness the enthusiasm and interest expressed by those attending by providing a forum where discussions can further develop and grow to include others.

We welcome the input of people from a range of disciplines and sectors therefore if you would like to write a piece or contribute a link to an article, or promote details of a relevant event, please email me at Victoria.henshaw@manchester.ac.uk

Author Dr Victoria Henshaw, Manchester Architecture Research Centre, The University of Manchester.

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