Physical and social disorder, and not tree cover, reduce perceived safety in urban green spaces

Feeling unsafe is an important barrier to spending time in nature and, therefore, gaining the benefits that such experiences offer. Some research suggests that dense vegetation in green spaces can impede visibility, create hiding places for would-be offenders and reduce perceptions of safety among visitors. Drawing on household survey data from 356 residents of a metropolitan area in Paraguay, we measured perceptions of safety, social disorder, and physical disorder. We objectively measured urban green space biophysical characteristics using satellite-derived indicators such as tree cover, grass cover, and green space size. We found limited evidence that tree cover was associated with perceptions of safety, and while grass cover was positively associated with perceptions of safety in urban green spaces, this positive effect was moderated by green space maintenance. Physical disorder, including signs of poor maintenance, significantly reduced perceptions of safety. In our sample, perceived safety of green spaces did not significantly relate to frequency of visits to urban green spaces, suggesting safety must be considered alongside a suite of other factors when considering barriers and catalysts to spending time in nature. While acknowledging the limitations associated with using objective remote sensing metrics alongside subjective perceptual data, our results challenge the assumption that dense vegetation reduces the perceived safety in green spaces, and highlight the broad implications of physical disorder (including poor maintenance) and social disorder for impeding safety and potentially limiting the use of public nature spaces.