We feel unsafe: An exploration of planning opportunities with a gender perspective to encourage urban safety

Abstract

The importance of safety for women has been widely recognized as one of the key aspects of equal and socially inclusive cities. Many cities have already contributed and promoted work for safer cities, however, this is an evolving issue that continues to require extensive development work, especially considering women's perspectives. This entails recognizing that these urban safety issues do not affect all women equally, but rather are a construct of many factors that depend on the social affiliation and characteristics of the individual. This thesis thus aims to answer the question: How and in what ways can spatial planning with a gender perspective encourage the feeling of safety for all? This is explored by examining existing spatial approaches to safety and by conducting a case study in the district Biskopsgården in Gothenburg. Through various conversations and observations during night walks and community meetings, it was feasible to focus on women's perceptions, experiences, and needs. Furthermore, by conducting an analysis of the different actors in the area and the work already done for safety, it was possible to identify the general focus of the safety debate in the area, what is missing and how spatial planners could contribute to it. The methods show that current efforts to promote safety focus on the crime prevention and the behavioral patterns of assailants, which severely restricts residents access to urban resources and thus has a profound impact on women and other marginalized groups. Furthermore, the strategies used to prevent crime often have the opposite effect and rather contribute to making people less safe. The question arises as to what planners can focus on beyond what is being done today to productively engage in the safety debate. As a result, the thesis expresses that safety needs to be considered in a broader context with interrelated factors such as access to services and the fulfillment of basic human needs. For spatial planners, this means engaging at the local level and treating residents as experts in order to develop effective strategies that do not exacerbate their sense of feeling unsafe. Combined with aspects of existing planning approaches, this can give direction towards safer and more inclusive cities.