Perception of personal safety in urban recreation sites

Abstract

Photograph of 17 urban recreation sites in Chicago and Atlanta were evaluated by college students (n = 68) in Illinois, Georgia, and Michigan, for either perceived security, scenic quality, or both. For most raters, high visibility and developed park features significantly enhanced perceived security. Scenic quality, on the other hand, was enhanced for the majority of evaluators by a high degree of naturalness and vegetation. For both perceived safety and scenic quality, a small minority of raters held preferences quite different from the majority.

Citation

Schroeder, Herbert W.; Anderson, L.M. 1984. Perception of personal safety in urban recreation sites. Journal of Leisure Research 16(2):178-194