Ten principles to promote perceived safety in parks

Inglés. As the world urban population increases, our cities become larger and denser.Consequently, the significance of urban parks increases as they may offer anaccessible experience of nature leading to better health and social benefits.However, these factors are threatened by fear and perception of unsafety.The aim of this thesis is to investigate what elements can influence safetyperceptions in urban parks and identify the measures to encourage usability.This paper addresses mainly the social dangers as the factor, which evokessensations of worry and anxiety.The project comprises four main phases. The first one discusses the existingliterature. The second one deals with typical research method used in a fieldof environmental psychology: interview process with the pictures. The pilotand preference studies examined potential users experience of perceivedsafety with respect to different vegetation design. This research was sitespecific and the chosen place was Torshovdalen park in Oslo. Digital photomanipulation was employed to alter the images of this park. Afterwards, theimages were used to examine interviewers’ perceptions. The third phaseincludes site analysis. Direct observation was used for the data collection.The fourth phase summarises previously discussed findings in the designprinciples. These principles are built on the previous research in the literaturereview with elements of empirical study. The concluding phase encompassesalso design recommendations for Torshovdalen, but these are of a secondaryimportance.The end product is ten formulated principles promoting perceptions ofsafety illustrated by the principles application. The principles application inTorshovdalen is more of a guideline rather than a rigid rule for all architectsthat are in need. The application demonstrates how the principles can beput into practice and used by landscape architects to make the surroundinggreen area perceived as secure.

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