Jane
In his article, “Being in the city: the sociology of urban experiences”, Borer (2013:979) suggests that “urban experiences are almost inevitably attached to sensory stimulations”, and states that “sensuous experiences” (2013:969) take place during interaction with urban places, expressed through what he refers to as “sensescapes” (2013:966), also suggesting that specific places within a city can be evaluated through its sensory stimuli. However he argues that one should not focus too heavily on only the visual. Similarly in their article, Degen and Rose (2012:5) state that the “city is experienced through multiple sensory modalities, not just the visual”.
Borer (2013:971) describes the “texture of the urban soundscape” as being made up of various noises and “distinctive rhythms”, he goes on to state that sounds like these are usually associated with specific places, around the Piazza there is a certain buzz, made up of noise from foot traffic and various conversations going on at the same time, as Chloe (2017) states “the space is still predominantly a very loud area”, and Adeline (2017) feels that the cafeteria is overcrowded, perhaps creating a claustrophobic feeling, mentioned by Savanna (2017), with the noise and smells being quite overwhelming to the senses, similarly, Loretta (2017) prefers not to spend too long in the space because it gets “too crowded and is very busy”.
Scent plays a significant role in the memories of places, as indicated by Borer (2013). One can argue that what Borer (2013) describes as the “smellscape” was the most common “sensuous experience” (2013:969) among the participants’ experience in the Piazza, as most students commented on the smells within the space. Within the vicinity of the Piazza, there is a strong smell of smoke, from cigarettes and hubblys as this is a popular area for smokers, as Chloe (2017) mentions that the space is filled with the “smell of hubbly and various foods cooking”. Some students avoids sitting on the benches in the area because of “the smoke and the smell” (Adeline 2017). Borer (2013) suggests that odours become “place-based”, therefore, “particular smells are connected with particular places and, vis a vis, particular types of people” (2013:973).
As scent plays an “important role in recollections of places” (Borer 2013:974), the smells in the Piazza area, or the scentscapes, seem to have an overwhelmingly negative impact on the participants, as is evident in their responses to what they dislike about the Piazza space. It may be argued that memory, as stated by Degen and Rose (2012), engaged with recollections of the Piazza space, memories of other occasions when he students have interacted with the Piazza space, including the statements about the area usually being a popular hub for smokers, as seen in Molly’s (2017) image, may influence opinions of the Piazza because the space becomes connected with the specific smell of smoke, as Borer (2013:973) suggests, “smell is such a powerful cultural force that it is often taken for granted”.
Degen and Rose (2012:14) state that “different ways of walking integrate quite distinct sensory impressions”, and suggest that sensory encounters can be altered “by particular practices of spatial mobility; and by memories or previous visits to the same or similar places”. (2012:15). Specific walking practices within the space are evident, due to various paths through and around the Piazza, as seen in the images by Adeline (2017) and Ophelia (2017). Chloe states that she is “uncomfortable to walk through” the center on the Piazza, she feels a sense of being watched so she prefers to walk on the outside, around the Piazza, as does Jane (2017),who prefers to “walk around it instead of through it”. The centrality of the piazza may be one of its focal points, the reason why this space is so occupied and busy may be mainly due to the convenience of shops, bathrooms and ATM’s being located in one space, being described as “one of the most central places on campus” (Chloe 2017), and a “communal” environment (Savanna 2017). However, views on the Piazza differ, Loretta (2017) states that she is usually “only in that space to use the bathroom, buy food and use the ATM”, and Ophelia (2017) states that this is an area that she passes through on her way elsewhere, saying that it is not a space that she would want to spend time in because she is “not particularly fond of this part of campus”, while Caliope (2017) viewed the space as “inviting and practical”. Many of the students stated that although they have interacted with this space on previous occasions, they no longer make use of this particular space and would rather avoid it and spend time in other spaces on the campus.
Degen and Rose (2012:16) state that “individuals react to different forms of sensory stimulation around them”, this is evident in the sensory experiences had by the students within the space of the Piazza. While students had multisensory experiences, scent appears to be the dominant sensory engagement had in the Piazza space, noting the smells of smoke and various food smells from the cafeteria. Walking practices and memories of a particular place play an important role in an individuals’ interaction within spaces, but it is also apparent that experiences of places, particularly the Piazza, are heavily influenced by direct sensory engagements.
Bibliography
Borer, MI. 2013. Being in the city: the sociology of urban experiences. Sociology Compass 7/11: 965-983.
Degen, MM. & Rose, G. 2012. The sensory experiencing of urban design: the role of walking and perceptual memory. Urban Studies 49(15): 3271-3287.
