Perceived personal safety in built environment facilities: A Nigerian case study of urban recreation sites

This article reports the pattern of perceived personal safety at urban recreation centers in relation to: socioeconomic characteristics of the visitors; the design features of the site, and visitors' avoidance behaviour. It is based on the analysis of a 2017 Safety Survey conducted in Lagos, Nigeria. Findings show that visitors vary in their declared perceived safety. Visitors who are married declare feeling worried than visitors who are single. Respondents who are familiar with the sites feel safer than those who come to the sites less frequently. People born outside Nigeria are more worried about their safety; younger people are less worried; and those who declare feeling less safe are often female. While respondents are satisfied with their personal safety in restaurants, bars, cinema and parking areas, they are less satisfied in places like restroom, toilets, entrances, exits and corridors. Findings show that most crime incidents happen in the evening hours. Besides, crime rates are higher over the weekdays and rainy season. Visitors who feel unsafe tend to be more anxious during evening hours, weekend and dry season. Hence, crime occurrence at the sites does not equally translate to perceived safety since the results show a mismatch between when most crimes occurred and respondents' declared perceived safety. Results show that 14% of the visitors avoid certain places in the study area while 54% declare avoiding certain times. The study advocates for safety interventions that are sensitive to users' needs and adopt a holistic approach to urban recreation sites safety. Planning and future research implications are discussed. Management implications: Management implications The study assesses the perceived safety of visitors to recreational sites in Lagos metropolis Nigeria. The findings highlight that socio-demographic data on perceived safety are important to understand recreation behavior, use patterns and acceptance of urban recreation centers. For city planning and the management of recreational sites it is important to know that crime occurrence does not equally translate to perceived safety and should be studied separately. Here socio-economic conditions such as seasonal increase of unemployment, weather conditions and the likelihood to meet other people and guardians are influencing the situation. Finally the paper highlights the influence of design, the location of main infrastructure and the influence of environmental attributes of the recreational center.