A perceptual model of smellscape pleasantness
- Submitting institution
-
Birmingham City University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 32Z_OP_D0088
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.1016/j.cities.2018.01.013
- Title of journal
- Cities
- Article number
- -
- First page
- 105
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 6
- ISSN
- 0264-2751
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month of publication
- -
- Year of publication
- 2018
- URL
-
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264275117307035
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
2
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- Yes
- Additional information
- This peer-reviewed journal article presents a framework by which to analyse subjective evaluations of an individual’s experience of smells in places. The concept of smellscape has increasingly attracted cross-disciplinary attention, however, thus far there has been no model to help understand the perceptual qualities of smellscapes.
Drawing upon existing literature, this article presents a refined definition of the concept of smellscape in order to provide a clear and concise explanation which considers the environment, perception/understanding, people and context of smell. Taking ‘pleasantness’ as a perceptual quality, this article explores indicators influencing individual experiences of smellscapes in order to develop a perceptual model of smellscape pleasantness. The article introduces a new theoretical focus in relation to the context of smellscape and contributes to the existing literature on sensory geography and urban policies on odours.
This article presents an empirical, inductive exploration which was conducted through smell-walks with semi-structured walk-along interviews in the Sheffield Railway Station and Bus Interchange. Participants’ were interviewed in their primary (mother) language and the participants perceptions were recorded. Grounded theory was used as a methodological approach to systematically analyse the qualitative data and theorise concepts which emerged from the process. This article presents the perceptual model that was developed based on these indicators. This model introduces a new classification system for smellscapes through the identification of their dominant perceptual features and an evaluation of smellscape qualities based on pleasantness.
The indicator-based perceptual model of smellscape pleasantness presented in this article, was developed for use as a planning and design protocol for the conception and development of successful smellscape environments. The research was also disseminated through an invited presentation at the Sensory Design Symposium (ARCC Network Event, 27 January, 2016).
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -