Den fysiska miljöns påverkan på upplevd trygghet. En studie om kvinnors upplevda trygghet på spårvagnshållplatsen Wieselgrensplatsen, Göteborg.

Abstract

Perceived safety can affect people's quality of life by causing exclusion and alienation, as well as leading people to avoid certain types of places. Previous studies show that women feel a lower perceived safety in the public environment than men. In order to achieve social sustainability and an equal society, it is therefore important to take the perceived safety into account in physical planning. This study aimed to investigate women's perceived safety and what connections there are between the perceived safety and the physical design. The study has also investigated which physical measures could be made to increase the perceived safety at the site. The study is a case study with the tram stop Wieselgrensplatsen in Gothenburg as the case. The data was collected through an interview study, made in combination with a digital survey and in-depth interviews. The study was based on a series of physical factors that have been highlighted by previous studies as factors that influence perceived safety. The results show that the physical design of Wieselgrensplatsen mainly has a negative impact on women's perceived safety. The study has identified seven factors that influence women's perceived safety: lighting, the pedestrian tunnels, the design of the site, vegetation, aesthetics, people and the time of day. As the stop is on another ground level, the design of the site with its tunnels has a decisive role in the perceived safety. The results show that women experience a feeling of confinement and that visibility in the place is poor. The aesthetics of the place, such as the art on the walls, are highlighted as a positive aspect for the perceived safety. The number of people in the place and the time of day have been shown to be important factors as well. Based on the results, a number of measures have been proposed. Less extensive measures such as better lighting, more aesthetic features and better maintenance of the site. More extensive measures such as raising the stop to the rest of the ground level, removing the tunnels and increased movement on the site.