Mapping happiness, one smell at a time

Online maps are great for finding the quickest way from point A to point B, but does that mean they're showing you the 'best' route? Urban computing researcher, Daniele Quercia, uses crowdsourcing techniques to make maps according to criteria like beauty, quiet, or pleasant smells. Together with Rossano Schifanella, Luca Maria Aiello, and Kate McLean, they made Smelly Maps to track urban smellscapes. Daniele explains why we need technologies that promote values besides efficiency.

Also mentioned in this story

Urban Gems, the game that crowdsources beautiful routes.

The Weather Underground Wundermap shows you the forecast along your route, so you can plan beach days for when it'll be sunny.

The Along the Way iOS app searches for nearby restaurants and attractions while you're on the road.

Roadtrippers (U.S.-focused) lets you search travel destinations for (among other things) "Weird Stuff."