LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS 71 Beware the dark side
Johanna Elvidge from Marshalls explores new findings that reveal how users’ perceptions of safety in public spaces change depending on the time of day, and how specifiers need to take this into account
D
uring winter months, streets and public spaces can be plunged into darkness in late afternoon, meaning that many people find themselves doing everyday activities such as commuting and exercising in the dark. But new research Marshalls has undertaken highlights the significant difference between how the public view spaces at different times of the day. It reveals that four out of five people feel more unsafe when it’s dark in public spaces, and are on average 12 times more likely to avoid such areas than in daylight hours.
Areas of concern As part of the ‘Creating Safer Spaces’ white paper we produced, we found that parks and gardens were considered the least safe spaces when it’s dark, with 80% of people avoiding them during this part of the day – 40 times higher than in daylight. Waterways, such as canals, were seen as the least safe public spaces when it’s light; 11% stated they actively avoided such places during this time, however, when it’s dark, this figure increased almost seven times to 76%.
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Residential streets were considered the safest of all public spaces, yet nearly a quarter (24%) said they still avoided them when it’s dark. Beaches, transport hubs and town centres were also named as places people would avoid when it’s dark. On the back of this survey, the industry is being urged to consider how to approach ‘designing for the dark,’ so that people feel – and are – as safe accessing spaces in the dark, as when it’s light. To achieve this, it has outlined a set of key design principles for architects, designers and planners, focused on wayfinding, lighting, acoustics and more, which – if put to use – would improve perceptions, and use, of public spaces during darker hours.
Perceptions of safety To help craft design principles on designing for dark hours, the survey also explored the reasons behind the public’s heightened awareness of safety when it’s dark, and any actions they take when they feel unsafe. Respondents cited poor visibility as an
issue, whereby potential dangers or hazards are concealed or out of sight. A lack of
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