Kate McLean-MacKenzie is mapping the world through smell.
The University of Kent researcher is publishing an atlas of urban “smellscapes”.
She began the project after noticing smells cannot be shared like images or sounds.
Her work asks people to take guided “smell walks” through cities.
Participants record scents, their strength, duration, and emotional associations.
McLean-MacKenzie then turns the data into visual maps and cultural narratives.
Since 2011, she has mapped 40 locations, including Paris, Kyiv, and Kolkata.
The maps capture fleeting moments, shaped by weather, place, and personal memory.
She hopes the atlas will become a historical record as cities change.
The project also encourages people to notice and value sensory differences.
