Abstract

In Ecuador, public space is considered dangerous and insecure. This may be related to the high violence rates many cities are currently facing. At the same time, most urban interventions are focused on improving the image of the environment, while paying less attention to how those spaces are experienced. Moreover, the sensorial dimension, as an indicator of the urban experience, is often ignored and understudied. In this context, the aim of this research is to categorize the sensory experience of urban space in Ingahurco, a neighborhood in Ambato. The questions that guided this work are as follows: What is the sensory experience in the area? What are its characteristic sensory features? The olfactive, tactile, sound, and alimentary marks of the neighborhood were collected and analyzed using sensory ethnography methods such as collective sensory walks, sound recordings, surveys, and texture sampling. This data was later processed using interactive maps and sensory representations to reconstruct the predominant sensory features of the site. This work shows that the analysis of urban space from the sensory approach discloses ignored dimensions of the urban experience, such as collective knowledge and meaning. The complexity of grasping and representing these data reveals opportunities for the creation of various means of representing the urban environment. Moreover, collective sensory walks can become a shared and meaningful means to take over public space in contexts of crisis and insecurity.