According to a survey conducted for UN Women UK, 71 per cent of women of all ages in the UK said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.

When the murder of Sarah Everard led many people to speak out about an endemic culture of harassment, abuse and violence against women in the UK, the role that public space and its design plays in terms of the prevention of gender-based violence came to the forefront of discussion.

Chaired by Leanne Tritton, the founder and managing director of PR company ING Media, the panel was made up of Amy Lamé, Night Czar, Office of the Mayor of London; Stephanie Barton, Consultant at WSP, Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster; and Satu Streatfield, Associate Director of Night-time & Lighting at Publica. 

The discussion was prefaced by an introduction to the GLA’s Women’s Night Safety Charter, and went on to discuss a number of points:

- How can built environment professionals support London in creating spaces that empower those presenting as women and stop male violence?

- How can city planners, designers, developers and authorities have integrated gender perspective in urban planning?

- How can we make sure men do not violently attack women and what’s the role of public spaces in this?

Streatfield, who joined Publica in 2016 and leads the practice’s work in research, planning and design for the urban night, referred to issues around poorly lit areas and how this impacts user experience whilst also highlighting that we need to address ongoing maintenance as a priority.

“Lighting is never the one thing that can fix the perceptions of safety in public spaces at night – but I do think it can be genuinely transformative,” she said.

“It plays a critical role in making places feel welcoming and accessible, helping you to understand the space around you. I like getting lost in cities during the daytime, but at night-time, it makes you feel insecure and unsafe.”

The Women’s Safety in Public Spaces talk took place on Friday 25 June 2021.

Find out more about the event here.

Events ⋅ June 2021

See more

PUBLICA'S SATU STREATFIELD discusses WOMEN'S SAFETY IN PUBLIC SPACES 

The talk, hosted by New London Architecture, focused on the ways in which urban design can play a role in making those presenting as female feel safer in the public realm

According to a survey conducted for UN Women UK, 71 per cent of women of all ages in the UK said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.

When the murder of Sarah Everard led many people to speak out about an endemic culture of harassment, abuse and violence against women in the UK, the role that public space and its design plays in terms of the prevention of gender-based violence came to the forefront of discussion.

Chaired by Leanne Tritton, the founder and managing director of PR company ING Media, the panel was made up of Amy Lamé, Night Czar, Office of the Mayor of London; Stephanie Barton, Consultant at WSP, Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster; and Satu Streatfield, Associate Director of Night-time & Lighting at Publica. 

The discussion was prefaced by an introduction to the GLA’s Women’s Night Safety Charter, and went on to discuss a number of points:

- How can built environment professionals support London in creating spaces that empower those presenting as women and stop male violence?

- How can city planners, designers, developers and authorities have integrated gender perspective in urban planning?

- How can we make sure men do not violently attack women and what’s the role of public spaces in this?

Streatfield, who joined Publica in 2016 and leads the practice’s work in research, planning and design for the urban night, referred to issues around poorly lit areas and how this impacts user experience whilst also highlighting that we need to address ongoing maintenance as a priority.

“Lighting is never the one thing that can fix the perceptions of safety in public spaces at night – but I do think it can be genuinely transformative,” she said.

“It plays a critical role in making places feel welcoming and accessible, helping you to understand the space around you. I like getting lost in cities during the daytime, but at night-time, it makes you feel insecure and unsafe.”

The Women’s Safety in Public Spaces talk took place on Friday 25 June 2021.

Find out more about the event here.