Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor of University of Maragheh
2 PhD student at Maragheh University
Abstract
Objective: Social safety in urban public spaces constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of quality of life, social sustainability, and urban vitality. Within the literature on urban planning and design—particularly under the frameworks of “Defensible Space” theory and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)—the decisive role of physical and environmental components in shaping perceived safety has been consistently emphasized. However, in many Iranian cities, systematic and empirical analysis of the relationship between the physical characteristics of public spaces and the safety of women, as one of the more vulnerable urban groups, has received limited attention. Given that women, due to their gendered and socio cultural experiences, perceive and interact with urban environments differently, identifying the environmental factors influencing their sense of safety is an essential requirement for inclusive urban planning. The present study aims to analyze the influence of physical components of public spaces on women’s social safety in the city of Babolsar.
Methods: The research is applied in purpose and descriptive–analytical in nature. Data were collected through a field survey and the completion of 275 questionnaires, determined using Cochran’s formula. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha (0.86). Data analysis was conducted using a one sample t-test, multiple linear regression, path analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS.
Resulte: The findings indicate that crowding, spatial form, visual pollution, and environmental pollution are evaluated at a moderately high level; lighting quality at a moderate level; and spatial scale and symbolic disorder at a moderately low level. The regression model shows that physical components explain 33 percent of the variance in women’s social safety (R² = 0.338). Among the variables, visual pollution exhibits the strongest direct effect (β = 0.481),
Keywords
- Women’s sense of security
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
- urban public spaces
- Grounded Theory
- Babolsar
Main Subjects
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