3RD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON TECHNOLOGY - ENGINEERING & SCIENCE - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia (2017-02-09)

Safety On Street: The Role Of Street Design
Living in the cities poses many challenges for vulnerable group of user especially women where they are exposed to many issues related to safety. With the changing of lifestyle and demands, women are expected to play multiple roles in the society and working is one of the task. When women are expected to be working as men do, they are no longer occupied at one place. Women nowadays travel on daily basis and being in the street is an important activity. With the influx of diverse group of people into the country, our streets are dominated by different type of people from different background. Due to these factors there are possibilities of challenges and threats for user especially women. Therefore city spaces especially the street become an important public realm for women. Design of the street should be able to make women feel safe as these are the public space where they spend time getting to and from work. The way women perceived their environment might be different from men especially when they fear of crime. Perception of safety will affect quality of life where fear is an important psychological factor in human life. Living in fear will restrict human’s freedom. Therefore this study is looking into women’s perception on safety in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. The study was conducted through mixed methodology in order to understand safety perception, relationship between built environment and human psychology. 120 respondents were selected randomly around Jalan Benteng, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Melaka and Jalan Melayu. Questionnaire surveys were distributed and structured observation were conducted at interval period at these streets to examined and assess women’s behavior. Finding shows that fear does affect women’s perception and physical design of the street are important in affecting their psychology.
Keywords: Public space, Safety, Street
Suhaila Abdul Rashid, Mohammad Hussiani Wahab, Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Rani, Syuhaida Ismail