Effects of the physical environment on fear of crime and self-protective behaviors through city parks

Abstract

The concept of crime, as a multifaceted concept, has been associated with cities and urban spaces since the emergence of urban design as a phenomenon that has existed throughout history. One of the basic needs of people living in cities, as stated in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, is the need for being safe. This phenomenon, which is defined as the perception of safety, is specific to the people living in the cities and may differ between each individual. Although the perception of safety (or fear of crime) in urban spaces is mostly associated with the high crime rate, it is also possible to increase independently from the crime rate. An urban user who does not feel safe in an urban area may have fear of crime even if he has never been exposed to a crime before. On the other hand, these urban users who are afraid of being victims, may lose their relationship with city life and their socialization skills over time. Since the 1960s, many studies have been conducted on crime in urban spaces, and various theories have been put forward. The main idea of these researches is to determine the economic, psychological, social and physical factors that cause criminal behaviors. Thus, crime hotspots were identified based on how urban users perceived the area and created guidelines for crime prevention in these areas. As a result of the researches, it has been observed that people who do not feel safe in an urban space tend to show self-protective behaviors. These behaviors may vary depending on how vulnerable a person is, the features of the environment, and the type of crime they are anxious about confronting in the area. Urban green spaces are open areas located in cities where people can socialize, relax and reconnect with nature. City parks are large, multifunctional urban green spaces that serve as a focal point for the surrounding community and provide benefits to the local population. City parks also play a critical role in maintaining a healthy environment and increase the quality of urban life. However, some studies have found that, in particular circumstances, urban green areas might also have unintended effects for their users, such as increased fear of crime. In this study, fear of crime and self-protective behaviors of urban users were evaluated through public city parks. In order to find solutions to overcome the fear of crime in urban city parks in Istanbul, the perception of safety, fear of crime and self-protective behaviors of the users will be examined in both Maçka Democracy Park (MDP) and Beylikdüzü Valley of Life Park (BYV). Observations and questionnaires were used in order to identify the physical and social factors that lead to fear of crime and self-protective behaviors in these areas. Detailed analyzes showed that both parks have identical characteristics, however, some differences they have a great effect on their perceived safety and fear of crime levels of users. The survey with 27 questions was conducted with 60 users in Maçka Democracy Park and 60 users in Beylikdüzü Valley of Life Park. Findings showed that there is a correlation between the physical environment and the fear of crime. This study lightens a specific research topic with user-based methods; how the physical environment affects people's perceptions and behaviors. Although the relationship between crime and urban design has been investigated in many studies, there has not been enough research on the feelings of insecurity, fear of crime and self-protective behaviors that individuals experience. Besides drawing attention to the increasing criminal behavior in urban areas in Turkey in recent years, this study also contributes to the studies for reintegrating the urban green areas that have the perception of safety for the cities and to the future planning studies within the scope of the spatial interventions.