Women should help design UK parks to tackle safety fears, says study

In Britain, women are three times more likely than men to feel unsafe in a park during the day. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Women should be involved in the design and maintenance of the UK’s parks to tackle “unfair and unequal” safety fears, researchers have said.

Academics looking into how parks can be made safer for women have found simple changes such as better lighting, lower hedges and “escape routes” could reduce the risks of harassment and assault that stop women using parks.