New “Moment” app maps where, when and why people feel (un)safe in real time
Researchers at the Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies (BRISPO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), have launched Moment, an innovative citizen science project that uses a smartphone app to map how safe people feel in public space across the Brussels-Capital Region. Anyone aged 18 or older who regularly spends time in Brussels can participate.
The project is led by BRISPO colleagues Petrus te Braak and Theun Pieter van Tienoven who aim to better understand how safety perceptions vary in everyday life: who feels safe, where, when, and under which circumstances. The findings will contribute to a safer, more inclusive and accessible city.
Beyond crime statistics
Official crime statistics show where incidents take place, but they do not capture how people actually experience public space at a specific moment and location. Yet these subjective feelings strongly shape how residents and visitors move through the city, which routes they avoid, and which spaces they appropriate.
With Moment, BRISPO seeks to document these lived experiences in real time. The app functions as a scientific instrument while remaining accessible and easy to use. When participants enter one of more than 100 selected locations in Brussels, they receive a notification inviting them to answer four short questions about how safe they feel at that moment. The questionnaire takes approximately 20 seconds to complete.
The exact locations are not communicated in advance, to avoid participants deliberately travelling to specific places. This real-time experience sampling method makes it possible to identify not only where people feel (un)safe, but also when and why.
According to BRISPO colleague Petrus te Braak, the aim is to make everyday experiences visible that are often difficult to grasp in traditional surveys. Theun Pieter van Tienoven adds that if public space is to become safer for everyone, it is essential to understand how it is actually experienced, and how that experience differs across persons, places and moments.
Citizen science with societal impact
Moment is explicitly designed as a citizen science project. All adults who regularly spend time in the Brussels-Capital Region are invited to participate. The results will inform public debate and policymaking with concrete, empirically grounded insights. These may relate to lighting, visibility, spatial design, the presence of others, mobility flows, or neighbourhood initiatives.
Data collection is currently ongoing and will continue until summer 2026. The exact duration depends on participation rates and data needs. Individual participation via the app is limited in time: after four weeks of active logging, participants receive a message thanking them for their contribution.
All responses are processed anonymously and collected in full compliance with privacy regulations.
Broad media attention
The launch of Moment received extensive media coverage. The project was featured by Bruzz, VRT NWS, Radio 1, Radio 2, Het Laatste Nieuws, and Het Nieuwsblad.
Additional coverage is scheduled for tomorrow on RTBF and Vivacité, further extending the project’s visibility across both language communities in Brussels. The strong media interest reflects the societal relevance of systematically measuring how public space is experienced in a super-diverse urban region such as Brussels.
Through Moment, BRISPO continues its commitment to empirically grounded, policy-relevant urban research in Brussels. By combining digital tools, sociology and citizen participation, the project seeks to generate nuanced insight into the complex interplay between place, time, social context and perceived safety.
Participate in the Moment study
Brussels residents and everyone who regularly spends time in the Brussels-Capital Region are warmly invited to take part in the Moment study. By participating, you contribute directly to evidence-based research on how public space is experienced in everyday life.
Participation is simple. Visit moment.brussels for more information about the project. From the website, you are directed to the App Store and Google Play, where you can download the Moment app and register for the study.
Each logged “Moment” takes approximately 20 seconds. After four weeks of active participation, you will receive a message thanking you for your contribution.
By sharing your experiences, you help generate nuanced insight into where, when and why people feel safe or unsafe in Brussels. These insights will inform academic research, public debate and urban policy aimed at creating a more inclusive city.
