Henty, Bethany and Peimani, Nastaran  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1945-2181
2025.
Exploring women’s perception of safety through sensorial experiences.
Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability
10.1080/17549175.2025.2602484
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Abstract
Women may face challenges in their use of and participation in public spaces due to concerns about vulnerability to potential victimisation, which can impact their perception of safety. While current research predominantly explores women’s safety perceptions through visual aspects, it often overlooks the gendered perception of safety through sensorial experiences. This paper investigates how women's perceived safety in the public spaces of Reading is influenced by sensorial experiences. To explore the impact of sensorial stimuli, specifically sound and touch, on safety perceptions, this paper uses non-participant observation, photographs, surveys, and morphological mapping. It focuses on two streets in Reading town centre: one perceived as “safer” (Broad Street) and the other as “less safe” (Minster Street). Female residents participated in a survey reflecting on their perceptions of safety, with photo and audio-visual simulations used to explore sensorial experiences of sound and touch. Findings confirm that sensorial experiences significantly influence safety perceptions. Visual features shape touchscapes and soundscapes, which impact women’s streetlife positions and perceptions of safety, particularly through co-presence. This paper's significance lies in its potential to inform urban design interventions, with implications for towns and cities across the UK, aiming to enhance perceived safety and mitigate gender-based exclusion in public spaces.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Published Online |
| Status: | In Press |
| Schools: | Schools > Architecture |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| ISSN: | 1754-9175 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 17 December 2025 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 5 November 2025 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Dec 2025 13:38 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183015 |
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