Women, technology and the spatiality of fear: the challenge of participatory mapping and perceptions of safety in urban spaces

The fact that women feel insecure in public spaces is a growing concern for the planning discipline. Despite research carried out in previous decades, there is still a need to better articulate knowledge around the multidimensional issue of better articulate knowledge around the multidimensional issue of fear experienced by women in public spaces. This paper outlines a proposal of research based around the conception and testing of a collective monitoring model, which combines new digital technologies and public participation practices to address this concern. It entails the development of an experimental digital tool for mapping women's spaces of fear, which will be implemented in specific controlled environments through partnerships with local organisations concerned with women's safety, mobilising volunteer users. The research aims to explore the capacities and limitations of this kind of model for improving women's security in urban landscapes, contributing to the understanding of "fear generators" that have an impact on the social exclusion of women in relation to the structures and characteristics of urban spaces. We will also discuss the efficacy and reliability of extending a controlled group collecting method, which monitors unsafe spaces, towards a crowd- sourcing method to promote gender-sensitive urban design.