Multidomain Perception in Open Public Spaces: Interactions of Thermal, Visual, Acoustic, and Olfactory Environments

The field of urban environmental perception is increasingly recognizing the complexity of sensory experiences in open public spaces, where thermal, visual, acoustic, and olfactory environments converge to shape how individuals interact with the city. Historically, urban design and environmental research have prioritized visual aesthetics, often at the expense of understanding other equally influential sensory domains. However, recent developments in environmental psychology, soundscape and smellscape studies, and microclimate research have highlighted the significance of multidomain perception for human comfort, behavior, and well-being. Despite these advances, gaps remain in our holistic understanding of how complex sensory interactions, influenced by urban morphology and land use, affect daily experiences and health outcomes in public spaces. As cities adapt to climate change and shifting social needs, multidomain perceptual research is positioned as a critical frontier in creating inclusive and responsive urban environments.This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge by uniting interdisciplinary perspectives to better understand the interplay between multiple environmental domains in shaping sensory experiences in open public spaces. The main objective is to address the lack of integrated frameworks that connect soundscape, lighting, olfactory, and thermal perceptions, moving beyond traditional single-domain analyses. The research seeks to unravel how multisensory experiences influence emotions, safety, preferences, social interaction, and overall spatial behavior. Special emphasis will be placed on exploring how urban form, vegetation, materials, and microclimates contribute to or mitigate sensory comfort and health. Furthermore, the collection will highlight the potential of emerging technologies, such as immersive virtual reality, IoT-based sensor networks, GIS, and machine learning, for comprehensive multisensory assessments, data-driven modeling, and the prediction and enhancement of human experience in public spaces.For a more nuanced understanding of multidomain perception in outdoor public spaces, this Research Topic welcomes research that explores both the limitations and possibilities of current knowledge and approaches. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:• Psychoacoustic and soundscape assessment• Perception of lighting, daylighting, and visual comfort• Olfactory environments and smellscape mapping• Outdoor thermal comfort and microclimatic experiences• Interactions among multiple environmental domains• AI-based and machine-learning approaches for multisensory analysis and prediction• Spatial modeling and data-driven simulations using multisensory feedback• The impact of urban form, vegetation, and materials on multisensory comfort• Quantitative and qualitative/participatory research methods, including VR/AR experiments and field assessmentsWe strongly encourage submissions that combine diverse methodologies to provide holistic insights. Accepted article types: Original Papers, Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Methods, and Case Studies. Topic editors: Djihed BERKOUK, Noradila Rusli, Roberta Jacoby Cureau, Amar Bennadji (SFHEA) 🟥, Tallal Abdel Karim Bouzir Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76988/multidomain-perception-in-open-public-spaces-interactions-of-thermal-visual-acoustic-and-olfactory-environments