Urban green spaces (UGS) play an important role in promoting health and well-being all around the world, yet women are often limited in their usage due to safety concerns and fear of crime. This...Show moreUrban green spaces (UGS) play an important role in promoting health and well-being all around the world, yet women are often limited in their usage due to safety concerns and fear of crime. This qualitative, cross-sectional study investigated the safety perceptions and experiences of women in UGS in The Hague. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who live in The Hague to gain insight into their perceptions, experiences, and opinions regarding safety in UGS. A thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes — visibility factors, social factors, and physical environment — along with ten subthemes influencing perceived and experienced safety. The findings show various factors contributing to women's safety perceptions and experiences in UGS, including the importance of lighting, clear paths, fright of nighttime, the demographics and presence of people, neighbourhood, security, benches and trashcans, the design and upkeep of UGS, the size of UGS, and familiarity. Based on these insights, six recommendations were formulated to make UGS more women-friendly and to enhance feelings of safety, highlighting the importance for gender-neutral urban planning and design. This research contributes to improving our understanding of the relationship between gender, safety, and urban green spaces, providing valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and designers in creating more inclusive and welcoming environments for all urban dwellers.Show less
