Women are three times as likely as men to feel unsafe in parks – here’s how we can design them better
Parks and other green spaces are vital for life in a city, providing places to exercise, relax or meet friends. But for many women, these spaces can feel unwelcoming and unsafe. Concerns about personal safety can create significant barriers for women and girls, reducing their access to the benefits these spaces can provide.
A 2022 survey revealed that four out of five of women in Britain feel unsafe in parks after dark, compared to two out of five men. Although women feel safer during the day, they are still three times more likely than men to feel unsafe (one in six women compared to one in 20 men).
This gender gap in perceived safety leads to unequal access, reduced physical activity and lowers the restorative benefits of green spaces for women. This matters because women, particularly those with time pressures like caregiving responsibilities, have the most to gain from time in green spaces.
Public spaces are often designed with male users as the norm, overlooking the specific needs of women and girls and other vulnerable groups. For example, common recreational facilities in parks often include games areas, skateparks and BMX tracks, all traditionally considered male interests.
One study found that men are five times more likely to use basketball courts, four times more likely to use exercise areas, and almost 20 times more likely to use skateparks compared to women and girls. This results in girls feeling unwelcome and unaccommodated, avoiding spaces that do not cater to their essential needs, or are dominated by men and boys.
Safety work
Women often engage in what researchers call safety work. This is the hidden mental and physical effort needed to navigate public spaces in the threat of male violence and harassment. This can take the form of avoidance, where women bypass parks entirely, or at certain times. After dark or when alone, women often elect, to take longer routes to avoid parks, even if going through them is the most direct and efficient route.
Women are more likely to feel unsafe and more likely to change their behaviour as a result. In 2022, a survey revealed revealed that 37% of women and 24% of men reported avoiding quiet places, such as parks, after dark due to safety concerns. Generally speaking, men face fewer safety related inhibitions and use parks more frequently in their daily routines.
Women also engage in hidden safety work to access the benefits of parks. They preemptively plan their visits, considering time of day, busyness of the space and location. Once in the park, they are hyperaware of their environment, assessing social situations and monitoring unfamiliar men for potential threats. These strategies highlight the extra mental load women carry simply to use public spaces.
Research suggests that women are significantly more likely than men to experience “dysfunctional worry”, when worry and precautionary behaviour negatively impacts their quality of life and wellbeing.
What makes parks feel unsafe?
We have conducted research into what makes parks feel safe and unsafe for women. We found that it is a mix of things, from the immediate social and physical features of environments to broader patriarchal structures, misogyny and fear of men.
A few examples highlighted in our research and other studies show what features make parks feel (un)safe:
Factors like socioeconomic status, race, disability and age can exacerbate the experience of feeling unsafe for some people. And people in marginalised communities are already more likely to live near small, unsafe poorly maintained parks and further away from larger and higher quality green spaces. These combined factors are the subject of an innovative new study we are leading to ensure parks meet the needs of different users.
Features like exercise equipment and skateparks may not be welcoming to all users.
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Urban planners and policymakers must prioritise, and actively incorporate women’s safety in park design and management. Community engagement with women from different backgrounds is essential for creating safe and inclusive parks and green spaces.
Initiatives like the Safer Parks Guidance, which one of us (Anna Barker) produced with Keep Britain Tidy, Make Space for Girls and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, aims to improve perceptions of safety by incorporating better lighting, open sight lines, regular maintenance and inclusive programming.
Simply having a park nearby is not enough – they must be welcoming and safe for all. Läs mer…