2023-2027 | BOF
Research description
There is an indisputable link between the design and use of public space and gendered perceived safety. Moreover, Brussels and Belgium are not among the best in the class when it comes to perceived safety in public spaces. This is partly because minor offenses are often dismissed as everyday occurrences, leaving feelings of insecurity in public space unaddressed even though they are an imminent problem for citizens as they cause behavioural change. In addition, insights into this problem are often obtained through retrospective snapshots, while the perceived sense of security strongly depends on the situational context. This project aims at mapping gendered perceived safety of public spaces in Brussels in its context through a citizen science approach. As field experts, citizens will be involved in the research design such as the demarcation of public spaces to be studied. Citizens, as the privileged observers who subjectively appraise the context, will be involved in the data collection through an innovative application of the experience sampling method, which uses timefences and geofences (i.e., being at a certain place at a certain time) to trigger tasks for participants to complete. End-users, such as citizens and stakeholders will be encouraged to use results both as a “barometer” to monitor real-time perceived safety and as a source to support citizen initiatives.
