Examining the factors affecting users′ security perceptions on a pedestrian street: a case study of Çark Street, Sakarya, Turkey

While main streets in cities provide pedestrians with opportunities such as shopping and recreation, visitors′ perceived security can influence pedestrian traffic at such streets. Similarly, sociodemographic backgrounds of pedestrians can affect their perceptions of safety and security. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to find out the factors that affect perceived security in urban pedestrian streets. In this direction, pedestrians′ security perceptions were systematically investigated by conducting 200 face-to-face surveys at Çark Street, a well-known pedestrian street in the city of Sakarya (Turkey). Çark Street is 550 m long, 15…20 m wide and made of stamped concrete paving. The street was pedestrianized in early 2000s. There are commercial establishments such as clothing stores, restaurants, technology stores and gift shops, while offices for various professional groups (such as doctors, lawyers, accountants), cafes and residences are located in the upper levels of buildings. The questionnaire was composed of 3 parts as follows: Part 1 included 3 questions to collect respondent demographic information such as education and income level; Part 2 included 6 questions to find out respondents′ reasons to visit Çark Street, as well as the frequency and timing of their visits; Part 3 had 25 questions to investigate pedestrians′ security perceptions. The degree at which various factors such as crowd and street lighting that influence security perceptions were measured by using Likert scale and relevant statistical analyses. The results indicated that landscape reinforcement elements, as well as frequency and duration of a visit influence visitors′ security perceptions. The results show that security perception changes based on gender and timing of a visit. For instance, female visitors tend to feel more unsafe than male visitors during the evening hours. Based on the findings, suggestions are offered for designing safe and secure pedestrian streets. Overall, this study offers a guideline for safer, secure, and successful pedestrianization of critical urban settings in terms of pedestrian preference.