IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

As cities work towards greater inclusion and liveability, public open spaces are often presented as essential settings for social interaction, wellbeing, and civic engagement. However, for many women, these same spaces evoke fear, discomfort, and a sense of exclusion. This paper explores the paradox within public space: how environments intended to be open and welcoming can generate feelings of restriction and vulnerability for women. The research draws on qualitative data gathered through interviews and focus groups with women in Leeds, United Kingdom. It examines how perceptions of safety are shaped by personal experience, spatial design, social behaviours, and urban governance. Rather than being a private response to isolated incidents, women’s fear is understood as a socially produced and spatially experienced issue. It influences how, when, and where women navigate the city, often resulting in limitations on access and movement. The paper analyses the strategies women use to manage fear and highlights the contradictions between the promise of inclusive public space and the lived reality of exclusion. It raises questions about whose safety is prioritised in urban planning and decision-making. Grounded in feminist urban theory and intersectional understandings of justice, this paper contributes to debates on gender, safety, and belonging in contemporary cities. It calls for a shift from control-based strategies to those rooted in care, empowerment, and collective action. Only through such approaches can cities genuinely support women’s right to presence, participation, and freedom in public space.