Sensory urbanism: A multi-sensorial framework for reading Market streets

Most of city life happens in public spaces such that sensory experiences are central to the design of urban built environments. However, the visual hegemony often overlooks the contribution of non-visual sensory dimensions to spatial experience. This research addresses this gap by developing a multisensorial framework for reading and designing urban public spaces, using market streets in Kerala as the contextual setting. Market streets are inherently rich sensory environments, shaped by intense pedestrian activity, vibrant commercial edges, diverse user groups, microclimatic conditions and temporal changes.

The theoretical foundation is drawn from visual and non-visual urban theories. The visual dimension is informed by Kevin Lynch’s concepts of imageability and wayfinding; Gordon Cullen’s serial vision and non-visual theories are derived from the works of Juhani Pallasma, Mirco Zardini, David Howes, Sarah Pink, and Kate McLean. By conceptualising market spaces as a spatial and sensory construct, the research develops a theoretical framework that links tangible elements and sensory parameters such as visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and thermal cues to understand how spatial form and human perception interact to shape place meaning and memory. To operationalise this framework, the study uses a mixed-method approach combining binary surveys, photo elicitation, participatory sensory mapping, field observations, radar charts, and a sensory wheel to document the intensity and quality of sensory stimuli. The data collected from selected market streets is synthesised through a sensory matrix that evaluates each sense based on spatial context, temporal changes, and sources of stimuli. This matrix helps identify both desirable and undesirable sensory landmarks and identify the impact of sensory cues on legibility, orientation and place attachment. The outcome of the research is a multisensory mapping framework that can guide design decisions for urban streets, enabling planners and designers to improve the spatial experience through enhanced sensory comfort.