Safe Public Spaces Through Public Participation: A Case of Mexico

This thesis aims to explore how to support public participation in local planning processes, to improve safety in public spaces. In this thesis, I inquire how public participation can enable data for local authorities to produce more insights about the aspects that people think would help improve their sense of safety in their cities. Through a case study approach in Xalapa, Mexico, I proposed a participatory safety assessment to collect and integrate residents’ perspectives into local planning processes to create safe and accessible urban environments. Data was collected via literature review, interviews, a focus group, and a survey. This research derives an approach to address residents’ safety concerns in any street, guiding effective interventions. The findings suggest that local knowledge can provide useful information regarding safety perception, infrastructure needs, and suggestions for improvement while considering the needs and aspirations of users. The survey derived from this approach allows to acknowledge users’ suggestions for improvement, promoting bottom-up decision-making. This research is intended to assist local authorities in adopting a participatory strategy to provide safe public spaces, emphasizing the involvement of residents, academics, and civil actors in planning processes. Key words: Public space, safety, public participation, local planning processes, Mexico.