Public Event - Smell and the City

Public Events

Have you ever thought about what smells you detect as you walk through London at different times of the year and how these influence your experience, perceptions and memories of different streets, squares and spaces within the city? Now is your chance to find out more, by putting your sense of smell to the test as you sniff out metropolitan scents, whiffs and stinks as part of a guided tour led by urban smell specialist, Dr Victoria Henshaw of the University of Sheffield.

Starting with a one hour smellwalk, the second half of each of the two sessions will include a talk highlighting the science of smell and outlining how experiences of urban smellscapes are today influenced by a wide range of factors. From smell emitting bus stops, scented car-parks and perfumed fountains through to drainage systems, eye-watering food odours and phantom city stinks, this walk and talk session is guaranteed to activate your olfactory receptors, tickle your trigeminal nerve and stimulate your sensory imagination.

Each session will be accompanied with an opportunity to test out a range of different odours including one little pot of smell providing insights into your genetic capability to smell the world around you.
The walk will start at 6:30pm and will take approximately one hour and will conclude with a talk. Participants are advised to wear sensible footwear, to dress for the weather and if warm, to bring along a drink of water for the walk.

Biography: Dr Victoria Henshaw is a Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Sheffield and author of ‘Urban Smellscapes: Understanding and Designing City Smell Environments’ (Routledge 2013). Her work focuses upon the role of the senses, smell specifically, in experiences, perceptions and the design of the city and she writes a regular blog ‘Smell and the City’. Her research has featured in electronic, print and broadcast media around the world including America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, mainland Europe and the UK including features in the Independent, the BBC News Magazine and BBC Radio 4’s ‘You and Yours Show’.