How thoughtful, inclusive urban design can make our streets, parks, and buildings feel safe
At the end of last year, I met with a group of progressive thinkers in the real estate industry to share ideas and best practice on the way ahead to enhancing safety and inclusivity.
It’s an obvious point to make, but every individual has their own hopes, aspirations and expectations about placemaking and so there can never be a “one-sized fits-all” approach to creating spaces that meet a range of human needs. What was clear from our discussion is women experience towns, cities and places, very differently from men.
Gender balance was therefore one of the most prevalent factors that came up when we discussed how to shape urban spaces. It’s well-documented that the property sector is a male-dominated industry, from property developers, urban planners, engineers and architects. Inevitably this means it’s men designing a substantial portion of today’s urban landscapes.
The issue this poses is that what feels safe to a 40-something male can feel unsafe to others, and there needs to be a more open conversation about what this might mean and how to enhance gender diversity in the built environment and therefore safety and inclusivity when it comes to the design of new urban spaces. There are plenty of statistics and anecdotal stories that support the need to consider this.
One survey reported that 91% of women feel unsafe at train stations and 90% in parks. This can limit mobility and participation in city living.
Several groups across the UK are campaigning for better safety measures in public areas, including CCTV and improved lighting. In Sheffield, for instance, the organisation ‘Our Bodies Our Streets’ seeks to understand the level of sexual harassment in the city and has worked to improve lighting in parks.
We also discussed how women from economically marginalised communities are especially vulnerable as they may lack the means to, say, use a taxi to avoid a route home that feels unsafe.
Our Bodies Our Streets will tell you that the fundamental problem is that conversations surrounding safety from harassment are so often focussed on the different ways in which the individual ought to prevent and defend themselves against harassment, rather than what can be done to make these spaces less dangerous.
Other research showed that one in two women feel unsafe walking alone after dark near their home – a statistic most of the women I’ve spoken to on this relate to. There’s been plenty of times I’ve felt the need to cross the road or speak to someone on the phone when walking home.
Addressing the gender balance is obviously only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to successful Placemaking. There are so many factors that need to be considered to create thoughtful, inclusive spaces for everyone.
I’ll also be hosting a Podcast on the topic next month, so stay tuned…
Sarah Gilmour
Senior Account Director at Influential
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