Woodland spaces and edges: their impact on perception of safety and preference

The interaction between spatial arrangement and vegetation structure was systematically examined in the context of an urban park in an impoverished area of Sheffield, UK. Local residents rated digitally manipulated photographs depicting different spatial arrangements of mature trees and edge treatments for safety and preference. Spatial arrangement was the most important factor in determining sense of safety but not preference. Perception of edge treatment varied significantly according to variation in spatial arrangement in ratings for both safety and preference. The results of this study suggest that more naturalistic vegetation can be introduced into parks and green spaces without necessarily making the parks appear unsafe.