Mapping Perceptions of Safety in Parks

• In Event: Using Multiple Methods to Examine Fear of Crime, Safety, and Perceptions of Quality in Parks

Abstract

This project focuses on a study of the perceptions of safety for park and campsite visitors. As an interdisciplinary team of students and professors we are analyzing 6 public parks and 2 State Parks (for camping) in the West Florida area. This project builds off work that was completed last year using a similar survey methodology. The survey questions address fear of certain areas, places of frequent activity, and concerns of being a victim of crime in specific areas. Unique to the current work, is the addition of a spatially-explicit approach to conducting the surveys. This approach utilizes the technique of sketch mapping to capture respondent’s perceptions of safety. Respondents are asked to circle areas on a park map where they feel safe, neutral or less safe using color coded markers. The results of the map surveys are analyzed using a composite overlap approach which shows of agreement and disagreement between respondents. Further, by having the survey responses spatially coded we were able to conduct further spatial analysis such as the influence of proximal places to the parks under study.

Authors

• John D. Morgan, University of West Florida

• Sara Z. Evans, University of West Florida

• Jamie A. Snyder, University of West Florida

• Frances P. Abderhalden, University of West Florida

• Jocelyn Evans, University of West Florida