Researcher Maps Global Smellscapes, Capturing Urban Aromas

A new project led by Dr. Kate McLean-MacKenzie, a designer and researcher at the University of Kent, seeks to document the unique scents of cities worldwide. Through the creation of an atlas that maps these “smellscapes,” McLean-MacKenzie aims to highlight the often-overlooked sensory experiences of urban environments.

The initiative began 15 years ago when McLean-MacKenzie recognized a significant gap in how humans engage with their surroundings. “We communicate what we see and hear, but any way of recording and sharing smell was largely missing,” she explained. This realization prompted her to develop a method for capturing the scents that fill our cities.

To gather data, McLean-MacKenzie invites participants to take “smell walks” through various locations. During these walks, individuals are encouraged to document not just the scents they encounter but also their intensity, duration, and emotional responses. This qualitative data is then analyzed and transformed into visual maps that convey the cultural narratives associated with each location.

Mapping a Diverse Range of Scents

Since the project began in 2011, McLean-MacKenzie has mapped the scents of over 40 cities, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Canterbury, Amsterdam, Verona, Kyiv, Kolkata, and Paris. Each map serves as a record of the ephemeral nature of smells, illustrating the sources of odors on the day of the walk and how they disperse through the air.

The maps created from this research are akin to “impressionist paintings of light,” according to McLean-MacKenzie. They capture a moment in time, inviting individuals to engage with their environment in a sensory way. She noted, “The only way that you’ll get to experience it is by going out and smelling for yourself.”

Recent studies have shown that humans possess a more sophisticated sense of smell than previously thought. Research indicates that people can distinguish between odors that arise only milliseconds apart. McLean-MacKenzie emphasizes that the goal of the smell walks is not merely to identify a scent but to give meaning to those scents in people’s lives.

Engaging with the World Through Smell

One participant’s description of a particular odor as “the smell of shattered dreams” illustrates the depth of personal connections that can arise from scent. This individual, reflecting on their experience in New York, associated the smell of stale beer on the sidewalk with feelings of loneliness while walking home late at night.

The atlas is not only a collection of smells; it may serve as a historical document that records how cities smell today. Changes in urban environments, such as the rise of electric vehicles, could alter the olfactory landscape in the future. McLean-MacKenzie hopes that the atlas encourages individuals to engage with their senses more holistically.

She points out that even festive aromas vary significantly across cultures. For instance, while traditional Christmas scents in the West include mince pies and roasted turkey, in Kolkata, the holiday season brings the fragrances of Chhena cake and other local delicacies.

The project also challenges preconceived notions about smells, suggesting that not all odors are unpleasant. A participant who documented smells in Antarctica noted a surprisingly pleasant, leather-like scent from a dead seal, highlighting that our perception of smell can be subjective and context-dependent.

By inviting people to explore the myriad scents of their surroundings, McLean-MacKenzie aims to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse ways humans experience the world. She encourages everyone to “get over yourself and go and have a whiff” to discover the stories that scents can tell.