Why cities shouldn't lose their distinctive stinks

IN APRIL I led a "

We could hardly move for the crowds, and the echo of voices and footsteps was sporadically interrupted by the call to prayer. The strongest connection to our surroundings, however, came from the smells: the warm air, people's perfumes and body odour, leather, spices, Turkish delight. As we moved out to the streets surrounding the Bazaar, the smells changed: the stink of drains, cigarettes, fruit and sweetcorn being cooked in the street.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am walking through Old Spitalfields Market in London. I smell nothing until I reach the far end of the market where I detect some faint ventilation emissions from a ...

To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.