The project titled "Evaluation of the Olfactory Landscape Performance of Tilia tomentosa Based on Virtual Reality," led by Assist.Prof.Dr.  Elif Ayan Çeven, a faculty member in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Kastamonu University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, has been awarded support under the TÜBİTAK 1002 – Rapid Support Program. 

The project investigates the impact of the fragrant properties of the silver linden tree (Tilia tomentosa), which is widely used in open and green spaces in many Turkish cities, on users' spatial perception, sensory experience, and psychosocial responses within the framework of the olfactory landscape approach. In this study, the role of scent on the relationship established with space will be evaluated comparatively through both real-world experiences and virtual reality environments. 

Within the scope of the research, the olfactory landscape potential of the linden species' use around pedestrian axes, parks, seating, and resting areas will be examined; the relationships between scent and memory, place attachment, and perceptual schema, as well as changes in the level of scent perception under day and night conditions. Additionally, the aim is to develop criteria for landscape design that incorporate plants with olfactory properties.

The project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, participants' perceptions will be evaluated through sensory walks to be conducted in designated urban areas, based on their real-world experiences. In the second phase, the same areas will be modeled in a virtual reality environment, allowing the integration of the linden blossom scent into the virtual reality experience under controlled conditions, and participant perceptions will be re-measured. By comparing the obtained data, the level of representation of real space in the olfactory landscape assessments of virtual reality environments will be analyzed. 

In the project, which has a total budget of 100,000 TL, Prof. Dr. Doruk Görkem Özkan (Karadeniz Technical University) serves as an advisor, and a master's student will participate in the project as a scholar for a period of four months. 

Regarding the project, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, stated, "We are pleased that this original study, which addresses the topic of olfactory landscapes using virtual reality-based methods, has been deemed worthy of support. I believe this project, which stands out for its interdisciplinary approach, will make scientific contributions to space-human interaction and landscape research. I congratulate the project leader, Assist.Prof.Dr. Elif Ayan Çeven, her advisor Prof. Dr. Doruk Görkem Özkan, and all the researchers involved in the project, and I wish them success in their work."