‘Not safe to run in the dark’: how inadequate lighting in public spaces is creating barriers for women

Poor lighting was identified as the most common reason that respondents to a survey felt unsafe at night. Illustration: Nash Weerasekera/The Guardian

When Claire Watson moved to Sydney in 2022, the keen runner was excited to try out the famed track around the city’s vast, picturesque Centennial Park.

But when the 29-year-old turned up for her first run shortly after 6am before work one morning, she was stunned.