Mango-scented road project causes controversy in Spain

The Madrid City Council plans to add a delicious mango scent to the asphalt-mixed crushed stone mixture instead of the usual asphalt smell.

Madrid City Council is implementing the Operation Asphalt initiative to improve the condition of 323 roads in the city. While better roads and structures are expected to appear, the smell of asphalt also makes some people uncomfortable. To handle it, the authorities tried adding delicious mango flavor to the mixture of crushed stone mixed with asphalt. However, this also caused a lot of controversy, Interesting Engineering reported on May 24.

Madrid City Council adds mango flavor to asphalt but does not prioritize planting real fruit trees. (Photo: Euronews).

Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida said that people with a keen sense of smell can find it very interesting. However, not all residents are excited. Reports suggest that some people are overwhelmed by the strong scent, with some even feeling dizzy and having to close their windows to escape the mango scent.

Many Madrid residents raised concerns about the council's decision: Choosing fragrant asphalt over more sustainable solutions, such as planting real fruit trees. People find it strange that the city does not take advantage of the natural cooling benefits of trees, especially when the summer in the city is very hot because it is located far from the coast.

Amid the fragrance controversy, there is a bigger problem with Madrid's urban landscape: the number of trees has plummeted. While the city council supported the solution of adding mango scent, critics asked: Why weren't the natural cooling and aesthetic benefits of real fruit trees prioritized?

In the past two years, nearly 9,000 trees have been cut down, leaving many places in Madrid lacking essential natural greenery. Given Madrid's location, summer temperatures are very high and trees play an important role in cooling the environment and mitigating the urban heat island effect. However, the lack of trees in important areas causes people to suffer from intense heat.

Despite Martínez-Almeida's assurances that replacements have been made, there are concerns that the distribution of new trees is unbalanced. Most of the new trees are located in areas outside the city center, so the central area still does not have enough trees.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, trees also act as natural air conditioners, creating a microclimate that provides comfort in the scorching heat. In the shade of trees, the temperature can drop several degrees Celsius compared to sunny places. A 2023 study conducted by the European Union also highlighted the potential of trees, showing that increasing tree cover to 30% in urban areas could significantly reduce the number of deaths related to heat wave.