Chongqing symposium examines planning cities around sound, smell, touch

陈小将

A four-day international symposium on multisensory urban experience and inclusive design was held at Chongqing University from Dec 12 to 15, bringing together scholars and practitioners to examine how cities can be planned around lived human experience rather than visual form alone.

The X-SCAPE 2025 International Symposium on Multisensory Urban Experience and Inclusive Design gathered around 30 participants from institutions including the University of Cambridge, the University College London, and several Chinese universities. Discussions centered on how sound, touch, smell, and perception shape urban life, and how these factors can be incorporated into healthier and more inclusive planning practices.