Lighting Women’s Safety: A Gender-Perspective Approach to Public Space Activation After Dark through Lighting

Which strategies are useful along a gender perspective to improve women’s perception of safety in public spaces? Does women’s perception of safety changes in the public space after dark, and how is it perceived in the context of Colombian culture? Is lighting a gender perspective strategy to activate parks after dark? The present thesis focuses on understanding the main factors that affect women’s perception of safety in public space. The lack of inclusive urban planning combined with the minimal involvement of women in the design process, results in high levels of rejection and fear associated with walking or being alone in public space. Hence, increasing their vulnerability to becoming potential victims. of sexual harassment. Moreover, the perception of safety is influenced by cultural, social, economic, and individual intangible factors. Similarly, physical factors like maintenance, constant visibility, surveillance, and the presence of facilities, are crucial for women to feel comfortable. Additionally, lighting is an essential factor for the urban context since it ensures visibility, constant comfort and the possibility to move around the space after dark. However, it is crucial to implement proper lighting design, due to the fact that after dark, the number of people on the streets decreases, turning spaces that may function adequately during the day to become empty, dark, and unsafe, after dark. Thus, increasing the levels of unsafety, affecting specially women - as they are consider a minority within the public space. Therefore, the present thesis focuses on lighting as a strategy to enhance women’s perception of safety in the city center of Cali, Colombia. The methodology implemented, consisted of on-site visits to the area, follow by a qualitative level analysis through a series of surveys and evaluations of women’s perception of safety in the context. Based on the research conducted, the aim of this thesis is to propose a conceptual lighting design to promote gender diversity and social sustainability.