Young People’s Perception of Safety in Parks in an Intermediate Latin American City
Coello, Mateo ; Palacios-Jerves, Sofía (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Pauta-Pesántez, Andrés ; Tapia, Amelia ; Hermida, Carla
Resumen: Open public parks are essential for recreation, leisure, social interaction, and the development of physical activities of young people. The perception of personal safety can inhibit or encourage its use. In urban contexts of Latin America this perception can be even more determinant. The purpose of this study was to identify the spatial, physical and social factors that influence safety perception of young people, taking Cuenca, Ecuador, as a case study. To accomplish this objective, a qualitative approach was applied, using three research instruments: physical and spatial outlay of the parks, non-participant observation of flows and activities, and semi-structured interviews. The results show that safety perception is not only affected by urban design, as commonly considered by city decision makers and urban planners, but that there are other factors such as gender, people´s presence, activities and land uses, which enhance, and other times diminish, safety perception in young people. Some findings impose important challenges such as the stigmatization by young people of other vulnerable groups, the pros and cons of vegetation in public spaces, the dominant male use of some areas of the parks, among others. These results provide important information to establish better public policies and guidelines to design, implement and renew urban parks.
Idioma: Español
DOI: 10.32891/jps.v10i1.1851
Año: 2025
Publicado en: The Journal of Public Space 10, 1 (2025), 15-36
ISSN: 2206-9658
Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)
Área (Departamento): Área Composición Arquitectónic (Dpto. Arquitectura)
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
Exportado de SIDERAL (2026-04-30-13:57:40)
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Idioma: Español
DOI: 10.32891/jps.v10i1.1851
Año: 2025
Publicado en: The Journal of Public Space 10, 1 (2025), 15-36
ISSN: 2206-9658
Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)
Área (Departamento): Área Composición Arquitectónic (Dpto. Arquitectura)
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Exportado de SIDERAL (2026-04-30-13:57:40)
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Articles > Artículos por área > Composición Arquitectónica
Record created 2026-04-30, last modified 2026-04-30