The design of urban smellscapes with fragrant plants and water features
- Submitting institution
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Birmingham City University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 32Z_OP_C0087
- Type
- C - Chapter in book
- DOI
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- Book title
- Designing with Smell
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISBN
- 9781315666273
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month of publication
- -
- Year of publication
- 2017
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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2
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This research explores the design principles employed to generate positive urban smellscapes. Design principles for urban smellscapes are arguably difficult to apply and current literature is vague about the subject. This research develops clear design guidance for designing with smell. It also considers the role that urban vegetation and water features can play in significantly influencing the general smell environment, and considers the design strategies that can be used to positively affect the environment.
Using case studies from across Europe and China, and based on onsite observations and measurements, the researcher investigated the choice of plants and water features used in respect to the scale and form of space as well as the context. Examples of real-world applied cases were analysed to provide an original perspective on the role of urban vegetation and how smells can be combined using existing urban planning and design structures. Based on these case studies, detailed design strategies were developed. In this way the research offers a novel methodological contribution to urban planning and design practice by generating innovative techniques for analysing and designing urban smellscapes. A key finding of the research was the identification of the increasingly important role that urban vegetation and water features play in cooling streets and public spaces as climate change increases city temperatures.
The research was published as a chapter in <The Design of Urban Smellscapes with Fragrant Plants and Water Features>, a peer-reviewed edited volume. The research was also disseminated through conference presentations and further creative work, including an invited talk at the Academy of Urbanism (Smellscape Symposium, London Architecture Festival, 13th June, 2017) and smellscape creative work (AHRC ‘Re: connections’ project on impacts of smells on the sense of place for the communities in Lee Bank Birmingham, 25 March, 2019).
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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