Safety In Public Spaces Research Articles

Sustainable and Safe Public Spaces for Everyday Life in Socio-Spatially Segregated Communities

How es Item possible to achieve a conceptual relationship between sustainability , security and public space in sociospatially segregated areas? The article aims to address the main theoretical positions on the topic of sustainabilitylinked to environmental safety in public spaces in such a way that Item seeks to glimpse and mitigate que these newspaces conditions are that influence the safety of neighborhoods and cities on a metropolitan scale . Starting from acritical /reflective stance and through documentary analysis , the aim es to establish a semantic network , as well as acloud of words to determine the level of concurrence in this way to establish que relationship exists or does not existsbetween sustainability , security and public space in socially segregated areas , especially , this article is a documentaryand exploratory document that allows us to clarify the problems present at metropolitan scales in Latin America .

The analysis of pedestrian flow in the smart city by improved DWA with robot assistance

With the acceleration of urbanization in China, the urban population continues to grow, leading to frequent occurrences of crowded public spaces, which in turn trigger traffic congestion and even safety accidents. In order to more effectively control pedestrian flow, enhance the efficiency and safety of public spaces, this experiment conducts in-depth research and improvement on the traditional Dynamic Window Approach (DWA), and applies it to the fine control of pedestrian flow. Specifically, this study comprehensively reviews and analyzes the characteristics of pedestrian traffic flow and the working principles of traditional DWA. Based on this, the shortcomings of traditional DWA in dealing with complex pedestrian flow scenarios are identified, and targeted improvement solutions are proposed. The core of this improvement scheme lies in the introduction of a new evaluation function, enabling DWA to more accurately balance various factors in the decision-making process, including pedestrian movement speed, direction, and spatial distribution. Subsequently, the improved DWA is validated through simulation experiments. The experimental scenario is set in an area of 18 m*18 m, and compared with traditional DWA, the improved DWA shows significant advantages in trajectory length and travel time. Specifically, the trajectory length of the traditional DWA robot is 19.4 m, with a required time of 34.8 s, while the trajectory length of the improved DWA robot is shortened to 18.7 m, and the time is reduced to 18.6 s. This result fully demonstrates the effectiveness of the improved DWA in optimizing pedestrian flow control. The improved DWA proposed in this study not only has strong scientific validity but also demonstrates high efficiency in practical applications. This study has important reference value for improving the safety of urban public spaces and improving pedestrian traffic flow conditions, and provides new ideas for the further development of pedestrian flow control technology in the future.

Integration of Fire Detection and Personnel Accountability System

Fire incidents in public spaces pose significant risks to life and property. Traditional fire detection systems often suffer from delays and inaccuracies, necessitating the development of advanced solutions. This paper presents a comprehensive system for integrating fire detection and personnel accountability in surveillance scenarios. With the increasing concerns about safety in public spaces, the need for effective systems to detect fires and ensure personnel safety has become paramount. Traditional methods rely on manual intervention or basic sensors, often resulting in delayed or inaccurate alerts. To address these challenges, our system employs advanced image processing and machine learning to enhance safety measures. By analyzing surveillance camera feeds, it detects changes in pixel intensity, smoke patterns, and heat signatures to identify potential fire incidents. Machine learning models, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), are trained to accurately classify fire and non-fire regions in video frames. Additionally, the system tracks personnel presence and movement, ensuring accountability within the surveillance area. Modular and scalable, our system integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, providing reliable fire detection and personnel monitoring. Experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness, contributing to enhanced safety in public spaces and facilitating prompt emergency responses.

Navigating the city: gendered work experiences in urban spaces

ABSTRACT Women around the world experience much higher levels of fear of crime, profoundly impacting their perceptions of safety and influencing their interactions with public spaces. This fear prompts women to alter their behaviour, such as avoiding specific urban areas and public transport, especially after dark. While many amend their habits and limit their exposure to public spaces due to the fear of crime, what happens to those women for whom the urban space is also their workplace and whose work occurs solely in public spaces? This article focuses on women whose work demands engagement with public spaces, exploring the experiences of women drivers in male-dominated sectors such as taxi and platform-based (Uber and Cabify) services in the city of Malaga, Spain. Drawing on 35 semi-structured interviews, the article explores their experiences as mobile workers navigating urban spaces and their dual role in the dynamics of violence: as the receiver of violence and sexual harassment from clients and colleagues, and simultaneously acting as protectors for their women clients, ensuring their safety in public spaces. Rather than understanding women as passive victims, the article explores how women deploy a sense of agency in creating strategies that help them navigate these challenges. While some responses involve self-censorship to mitigate potential dangers, others defy gender by not conforming to the cultural norms of traditional femininity. Through these processes, women survive, challenge, and resist violence, and move from the sense that ‘this city is not for me’ to developing a higher sense of power.

Where do women choose to walk? Female safety in public spaces

Resumo As mulheres tendem a regular suas atividades e limitar o uso dos espaços públicos a certas horas do dia, pela alta percepção de insegurança que atua como parte integrante da sua vida cotidiana. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar os fatores objetivos e subjetivos para caminhar sob a perspectiva da segurança feminina, através de um Estudo de Caso realizado em Londrina – PR. As táticas abordadas foram questionários e entrevistas caminhadas para compreender os fatores socioespaciais que influenciam na escolha e os que inibem o caminhar. Os resultados indicam que a construção do “medo” ocorre por meio de relatos de terceiros e da mídia, enquanto o principal fator de “sentir-se” segura está relacionado ao movimento de pessoas pelo fato de serem vistas.

“You have to be grateful that they have eyes watching over us”: When Security Guards Protect and Serve People Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract Relationships between private security and People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) are largely portrayed in negative, controlling, and punitive terms. Studies have shown that like police, security guards regularly engage in behaviors that impede PEH’s access to public spaces and produce harm. By contrast, drawing upon interviews with 50 PEH in a mid-sized Canadian city, our research examining PEH’s experiences with security suggests these relationships are much more variegated than previously documented. We find that, rather than treating PEH wholly punitively, security guards often take a benevolent approach to their work, making important contributions to PEH’s perceptions of safety in public space and taking a harm reduction role for PEH who use drugs. Our analysis contributes practical and theoretical knowledge about the work of private security and further illuminates the intersections of drugs, security, and public health.

KERJA SAMA UN WOMEN DENGAN GOJEK DALAM MENDUKUNG AGENDA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS-5: GENDER EQUALITY DI INDONESIA

This article aims to describe the collaboration between UN Women and Gojek which was agreed in July 2020 in pushing for the achievement encouraging the SDGs-5: Gender Equality in Indonesia. The theory used is gender equality in the perspective of feminism, feminist institutionalism theory, and sustainable development in the type of qualitative research. Data collection was taken through internet-based research and data analysis techniques using interactive data analysis models. The results of the research show that the cooperation by UN Women and Gojek is divided into three framework areas of work namely increasing women's capacity, strengthening the capacity of MSMEs, and promoting women's safety in public spaces. The collaboration between UN Women and Gojek is shown as one of the parties involved in helping achieve the SDGs 5 agenda. This is also evidenced by data from the WEF report on the 2022 Global Gender Gap, where the gender equality index in Indonesia has increased from last year

Evaluation and Optimization of Sense of Security during the Day and Night in Campus Public Spaces Based on Physical Environment and Psychological Perception

The safety of public spaces on university campuses directly affects the mental and physical well-being of both faculty and students, significantly contributing to the stability and growth of the institution. Therefore, evaluating and optimizing the sense of security in these public areas is paramount. This study adopts a human-centric approach and selects five physical environmental metrics to construct a comprehensive safety perception model encompassing both day and night, using the analytic hierarchy process. By leveraging evaluation outcomes, a maximum coverage location-allocation model constrained by a facility service radius is employed to optimize the layout of the public amenities on campus, supported by empirical research conducted at the Wuchang Campus of the Wuhan Institute of Technology. The results indicate that a notable decrease in public areas provides a low sense of security to users and that an increase in public areas provides users with a high sense of security. The results demonstrate a considerable enhancement in both the daytime and nighttime sense of security due to the implemented optimization measures. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the constituent elements shaping the sense of security in campus public spaces, offering concrete strategies for their evaluation and enhancement, thereby fostering a more scientifically grounded layout of campus public facilities and advancing the creation of a harmonious and secure campus environment.

Smart City Information Systems: Research on Information Published for Citizens and Design of Effective Content in the Czech Republic

The concept of Smart Cities integrates innovative technologies to improve citizens’ quality of life in towns and cities worldwide. Crisis management is a separate section directly managed by the leadership of municipalities, cities and counties in cooperation between police, fire and municipal police to ensure the safety of residents and safety in public spaces. The purpose of this study is to investigate to which extent publicly available information related to the field of crisis management is unavailable to residents in municipalities, towns and cities through online information systems. The primary aim is to provide suggestions for a general information system structure and content that would highlight and satisfy the need to address the crisis management issue, especially in providing immediate information to the population through an innovative online form. The achievement of this goal is methodologically based on qualitative research analysing and comparing the information published for residents through Smart City information systems in selected towns and municipalities. Document analysis or conceptual design was applied, and evaluation criteria for objective assessment of Smart City information systems were appropriately determined. The comparative analysis based on this set of criteria enabled the development of the proposals of information systems’ content that can be used to keep the information systems for Smart Cities in cities, municipalities and regions, actual and beneficial. From the available resources, two main modules that focused either on citizens or cities were synthesised. Moreover, SWOT analysis or the Smart Regions Rapid Response structure was derived. Acquired results outline generic structures and contents that support the development of the concept of Smart Cities and can be suitably implemented for the development of the modification of information systems containing relevant information for residents, cities and municipalities, focusing on citizen safety.

The impact of nature-based solutions on perceptions of safety in public space

Concerns around personal safety in public spaces constrain citizens' time-space access to opportunities of employment, schooling, socializing, and recreation. One widely promoted strategy for reducing fear of crime is through the transformation of the built environment. While policy efforts have focused on creating urban environments that target the conscious experience of fear of crime, Schachter-Singer's Two Factor Theory proposes that alterations of a person's emotional physiological expression could also reduce the emotional experience of fear. This study explores whether Nature-Based Solutions [NBSs] – a strategy that reduces the emotional expression of stress – can lead to reductions in fear of crime, and how this approach compares with two widely used criminology strategies tackling the emotional experience – Broken Windows Theory [BWT] and Eyes on the Street [EOS]. To test this, an image-based randomized control trial with 494 participants was conducted in 2021. Randomly assigned control and treatment images simulating each built environment strategy were viewed and ranked by participants according to perceived safety. The findings of this study suggest that all built environment strategies significantly increase the perception of safety in public spaces. NBSs are shown to be effective built environment strategies for increasing perceived safety, with an effect comparable to the experience-focused EOS and BWT strategies. Our results suggest that NBSs should be included as part of the safety-enhancing urban policy toolkit.

SAFOMETER - ASSESSING SAFETY IN PUBLIC SPACES: THE URBAN AREA OF PRISHTINA

Abstract. This paper introduces SafoMeter, a framework for assessing safety in public spaces using an index-based evaluation system that combines objective safety indicators with subjective perceptions of safety. The methodology is piloted in the urban area of Prishtina, Kosovo, and involves field data collection using the mobile application Mergin to map data for objective indicators and gather user responses on perceived safety. Analysis is conducted using QGIS software to create a map that showcases safe and unsafe areas of the city, rated from 0 to 10, with 10 indicating the safest areas. The study results demonstrate that SafoMeter effectively identifies and visualizes areas in need of urgent safety interventions. The tool enables evidence-based decision-making for policymakers by utilizing geospatial data to identify specific locations that require interventions. SafoMeter provides a practical approach to assess safety in public spaces and guide place-based policies to enhance urban safety, particularly for marginalized groups.

Mewujudkan Livable City: Persepsi Tentang Ruang Terbuka yang Aman dan Tidak Aman di Kota Bandung

The Bandung City Government strives to create a comfortable city space for its citizens. Preliminary studies show that not all city residents use city parks. This study aims to explore the perception of city residents about the safety of public spaces in Bandung City. The research was conducted by combining quantitative methods using questionnaires with qualitative methods through observation and documentation of places that were considered the safest and least safe from the results of the questionnaire. The results showed that places that are considered safe have an excellent level of neatness and cleanliness, equipped with street and garden furniture devices, large pedestrian areas, and attractive to be photo spots. Places that are perceived as unsafe are places that lack clear use and function, have a poor level of service, and are in areas that have low visibility. Recommendations for the redesign of unsafe places are presented by integrating built environment principles that can tackle crime.

In Search of a Good Life in a Southern European Country: The New Italian Migration to Athens and Valencia.

One of the main migration flows from southern Europe is the so-called ‘new emigration’ from southern Europe towards other developed countries, mainly in North Europe. Nevertheless, we still don’t know very much about the internal flows in the area. The main aims of this paper are to contribute to a better understanding of these processes and to find common pathways, discussing – in a comparative perspective – the first results of two inquiries conducted on Italians living in Attica (Greece) and Valencia (Spain). The two studies have been carried out with a qualitative method mixing the techniques of participatory observation in virtual and real communities and in-depth interviews. The main result of the comparison is that both migration flows go beyond the idea of a new emigration from Southern Europe predominantly caused by a lack of good jobs. Other factors and motives seem to be at stake today in these pathways of mobility: the cost of living, the safety of public spaces, the good weather or the geographical proximity to the origin areas, among others. Those factors do not replace the relevance of economic migration motives, but certainly put forward the complexity of these emerging intra-southern European countries migration flows, underlining the multidimensional factors pushing them.

Research proposal on architectural copper-based antimicrobic solutions in high traffic spaces

This contribution investigates research opportunities in the field of architecture and design management focusing on user health in high traffic spaces. The field of application is Airport Passenger Terminals. Looking at the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipating the possibility of events of the same magnitude, it is necessary to approach the problem of the safety in public spaces. Based on the State of the Art about antimicrobial material studies, Science of Architecture could propose innovative solutions that are compliant with health safety and prevention for high-use surfaces. These solutions will combine antimicrobial materials with a digital solution that could manage data about surfaces, allowing the maintenance team to valuate and optimize operations. After few hours the hygiene level of copper-based surfaces is higher than any other material. Copper-based furniture could be paired with sensors that send data to management software. Combining the use of scientifically demonstrated antibacterial surfaces with high-performance management tools could be the best option to achieve health safety and contribute to social sustainability. Airport terminals are the ideal high-traffic buildings to use as test model because they have all the characteristics that could be analysed concerning the safety and the perception of safety of architectural spaces by users.

Race-based readings of safety in public space in Milan, the challenge for urban design

Urban designers have long sought to plan more secure public spaces by encouraging a sense of territory through the surveillant and the surveyed. Nevertheless, the racial dimension of this territorialisation is insufficiently recognised. Our research tool, which we have trialled in Milan, identifies the influence of design in creating a sense of security in public space and, independently, the influence of race. It provides designers with a tool that could facilitate a more radically just practice that takes ownership of the role of race in perceptions of secure public space and challenges existing conscious and unconscious bias and which in so doing makes design practice more resilient to the rise of populist administrations increasingly engaging in bordering practices that conjoin migration, race and security at a national scale, but which are often enacted at the city scale.

Perceived Neighborhood Safety and Active Transportation in Adults from Eight Latin American Countries.

Neighborhood built environment is associated with domain-specific physical activity. However, few studies with representative samples have examined the association between perceived neighborhood safety indicators and domain-specific active transportation in Latin America. This study aimed to examine the associations of perceived neighborhood safety with domain-specific active transportation in adults from eight Latin American countries. Data were obtained from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (n = 8547, aged 18–65). Active transportation (walking and cycling) was assessed using the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Specifically, traffic density and speed as well as street lightening, visibility of residents regarding pedestrians and bicyclists, traffic lights and crosswalks, safety of public spaces during the day and at night, crime rate during the day and at night were used to evaluate perceived neighborhood safety. Slow traffic speeds, unsafe public spaces during the day, and crime during the day were associated with ≥10 min/week vs. <10 min/week of walking. Furthermore, drivers exceeding the speed limit and crime rate during the day were associated with reporting ≥10 min/week vs. <10 min/week of cycling. These results indicate a stronger association of the perceived neighborhood safety with walking compared to cycling.

Sexual harassment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesSexual harassment among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is a prevalent and understudied form of gender-based violence (GBV) with negative impacts on health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic raised...

Parents’ perceptions of their children’s physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundCOVID-19 has drastically changed the everyday lives of children, including limiting interactions with peers, loss of regularly organized activities, and closure of schools and recreational facilities. While COVID-19 protocols are in place to reduce viral transmission, they have affected children’s access to physical activity opportunities. The purpose of this study was to understand how COVID-19 has affected children’s engagement in physical activity and to identify strategies that can support children’s return to physical activity programming in public places.MethodsParents of past participants in the Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass Program in London, Ontario, Canada were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview online (in November and December 2020) via Microsoft Teams. The script was comprised of questions about their child’s physical activity levels (before, current, and anticipated following COVID-19), lifestyle changes due to COVID-19, and what service providers can do to assist children’s return to public programming. Interviews were transcribed in Microsoft Teams, reviewed by a member of the research team, and analyzed in NVivo 12 using thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty-seven parents participated in an interview. Four themes and two subthemes were identified during analysis: (1) modifications to everyday life (a. activity options available and b. altered social environment), (2) safety in public spaces, (3) accessibility of activities, and (4) utilizing outdoor spaces.ConclusionsCOVID-19 protocols have decreased children’s physical activity levels due to the loss of their regular activities, recreational spaces, and peer support. Implementing facility and activity-specific health protocols, providing outdoor activity options, and offering a variety of activity types, times, and locations are three strategies recommended by parents to help facilitate their children’s return to public recreational places. Due to the negative consequences of physical inactivity on children’s health and well-being, service providers need to implement programming and safety protocols that support children’s engagement in physical activity throughout the remainder of, and the years following, the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAFETY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AGAINST VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN PUBLIC SPACES IN CHITUNGWIZA, HARARE, ZIMBABWE

Introduction: No one should be subjected to any form of violence publicly or privately. The level of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe remains high and a barrier to women’s active participation in development. At least &gt;68% of women in the Sothern African Development Community have experienced some form of GBV during their life time. The research aimed at promoting full recognition, realization and protection of the rights of women and girls against all forms of gender-based violence and threats, by advocating for women friendly and safe community environments. Methods: Simple random sampling was used to administer the questionnaires to women and girls, boys and men in the community. Cluster sampling by age and gender was employed first and followed by a random selection within the clusters for focus group participants. Purposive sampling was also used. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, structured interviews and observation were utilised. Results: Women and girls experienced physical, sexual, psychological and verbal abuse violence in public spaces. Public spaces included bus termini/ ranks, aboard public transport, at market places, shopping centres, beer halls, at stadiums, in the streets and along bushy pathways in and around the communities. Female respondents were harassed without recourse although acutely aware of procedures of reporting cases of violence to the police. Most women experienced police stations as being far away. Normally, authorities did nothing to the perpetrators of domestic violence. Conclusion: Ensuring women and girls safety in public spaces was recommended as government priority area. Streetlights erection, provision of running water in homes, more public toilets construction, establishment of viable reporting mechanisms for violence and sexual harassment were needed. Women wanted law enforcers and local service providers trained on gender sensitivity and taking reported cases seriously. Guarantying the exercise of right freedom of movement, permitting women to carry out their activities without fear is needed.

Gendered sense of safety and coping strategies in public places: a study in Atatürk Meydanı of Izmir

PurposeA threatened sense of safety in public spaces is a problem for liveable communities. For better public policies, this study investigates multi-dimensional and multi-scalar aspects of gendered perceived safety and strategies by women and men in daily public spaces.Design/methodology/approachA face-to-face survey with 40 men and 50 women in a public space (Izmir, Turkey) is deployed. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis compare participants' perceptions of and strategies for safety across the city, neighbourhood and the study site.FindingsTheir experienced-based familiarities in public places increase women's perceived safety. As safety strategies, different place-based and gendered-preconditions appear for women and men going “outside” especially “alone” (i.e. unaccompanied). Reaffirming female vulnerability in public places, gendered preconditions include individuals' attributes. Of place-based preconditions, crowd and police are significant mechanisms for safety but emphasized differently by women and men. Housewives' female companionship in the study site develops a class- and gender-based claim for a safe place away from their underserved neighbourhood.Practical implicationsGendered- and place preconditions for women's safety can inform design policies about surveillance and permeability of public spaces. Lack of data about class-based differences about perceived safety is a limitation.Originality/valueAmong a few, it takes perceived safety as performative acts with learned strategies across (rather than momentary perceptions in) socio-spatial spaces and provides a research framework that considers such acts with individual and spatial dimensions across multiple socio-spatial scales.