Smellscape has increasingly attracted attentions across disciplines. However, little research provides a model to help understand the perceptual qualities of smellscapes. This paper, taking pleasantness as a perceptual quality dimension, aimed to explore indicators influencing people's pleasantness of smellscapes in a selected case. People's natural speaking language was used as resources to understand their perceptions. Grounded Theory was used as a methodological approach in this study in a selected case. Nineteen participants were recruited for smell walking with semi-structured interviews. Overall, nine indicators emerged from participants' descriptions which contribute to their smellscape pleasantness: cleanliness, preference, appropriateness, naturalness, freshness, familiarity, calmness, intensity and purity. Meanwhile, four types of pleasantness were found according to dominant indicators: preference dominated, healthiness dominated, memories and habituation dominated and context dominated. A perceptual model has been developed based on the indicators which can be used to classify smellscapes through their dominant perceptual features and evaluate smellscape qualities based on pleasantness.

Taking the soundscape approach to a study of the Library of Birmingham, this paper explored acoustic comfort in modern public libraries and measured the quality of the perceived sound environment, focusing on the appropriateness of the spatial organisation to facilitate users’ activities of reading and writing. The research involved four groups of participants taking soundwalks which provided data at four main floors in the Library, identifying types of sounds, measuring sound pressure levels and evaluating the overall quality and appropriateness of perceived sound environment. A human sound dominated sound environment was found in the studied case. The overall soundscape quality varied among different levels and different functional spaces. However, the results showed that the overall soundscape quality of each floor varied and was not necessarily determined by the overall appropriateness and sound pressure level. The participants in the study were found influenced by their soundscape cognitions of spaces through visual and acoustic perceptions, as well as by their purposes of using the space. From these results, the layout of spaces is suggested as a determining factor of acoustic comfort, and design strategies were discussed to achieve acoustic comfort in modern public libraries.

Soundscape research is attracting an ever-increasing worldwide interest from different disciplines and stakeholders. This brief commentary paper aims at offering some insights into the new directions this research (and practice) field will likely go, in the near future. For this purpose, eleven early-career soundscape researchers and practitioners were approached and asked to provide a response to the question "What are the current priorities and challenges for soundscape research?" Five recurring themes were identified in the participants' statements. A major concern of the interviewed sample is the need to bridge the academic and practice sides of the soundscape community, in order to better position this discipline in the broader framework of (urban) sound planning and design.

This paper presents an agile participatory urban soundscape planning process model, which is proposed as a prerequisite on which to build and reference the efficacy of urban soundscape planning. The model was developed through data synthesis and analysis and mapping engagement with diverse stakeholders across four applied soundscape projects in Brighton and Hove, UK. To the best of the authorÕs knowledge, the model is the first of its kind in applied soundscape practice. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and document analysis of published resources. The framework used for the analysis of the findings comprised four core urban planning stages: goals and objectives; engagement (e.g. prediction/modelling/design/planning); implications; evaluation. The study found that when integrating soundscape planning with core urban planning stages it was necessary to first identify the appropriate stakeholders in relation to the project context. It was found that these stakeholders could be wide-ranging and unexpected thereby reinforcing the appropriateness of incorporating an agile approach in the resulting model. The study also found that usersÕ perceptions are central to soundscape practice (ISO 2014) and need to be considered at each stage of a planning process to produce an effective and sustainable outcome. A variety of specific events, appropriate to the requirements of the stakeholders, are important for engaging planning authorities, users and other stakeholders at different stages. This study also demonstrated that an evidence based evaluation method is recommended in an agile participatory urban soundscape planning process to assess stakeholdersÕ engagement at each stage and to inform and guide subsequent steps in the planning process relevant to the local context(s).

Square dancing is a popular music-related group physical exercise for health benefits in China mainly participated by mid-aged women and elderly people. This paper investigates the soundscape and enjoyment of the square dancing in urban streets through a case study in Lichuan, a county level city in southwest China, in December 2017. It examines the impact of gender, age, participation and places on perceptions of square dancing soundscape. Two sites along two main urban streets in the city were selected to conduct onsite investigations where residents spontaneously perform square dancing on a daily basis. Ethnographical observations were conducted to identify the social-physical features and sounds of both sites during the dance and without dance. Sound pressure measurements (LAeq and LAmax) were also conducted under the two conditions. An off-site survey was distributed through the local social media groups to understand residents’ everyday experiences and perceptions of square dancing in the city; 106 responses were received for the off-site survey. T-tests and Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis of the survey data. The results show gender does appear to be a factor influencing the regularity of participation in square dancing, with a bias towards more female participants. Participation frequency of square dance has an impact on the enjoyment of square dancing. There is no correlation between the dislike of watching square dancing, or dislike of the music and a desire to restrict locations for square dancing.