Perception of urban safety: the case of Lublin, Poland

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate safety and its underlying factors among the inhabitants of Lublin. The findings are based on a questionnaire with 33 detailed questions conducted in May 2012 in all districts of the city. The collected data from the survey and Voivodeship Police Department in Lublin was analysed using ArcGIS and STATISTICA software. The analysis of the crime data shows the existence in the city of a clear zone of increased risk of crime occurrence. The survey showed that, in the last 10 years, approximately 28.1% of the responding inhabitants of Lublin have been victims of a crime in the city. Statistical analysis of the results revealed a statistically significant correlation between people’s evaluations of safety in Lublin districts and their age, gender, income, place of residence, quality of life, and participation in public life.

To fear or not to fear? Exploring the temporality of topophobia in urban environments

“…The regular repetition of physical appearance and shortterm path-projects define cyclical time. Hence, the intensity of fear of crime can be determined by the regularly changing phases of the day (Jíchová and Temelová, 2012;Pantyley et al, 2017), week (weekdays, weekend dichotomy) or season (Semmens et al, 2002). As a result, both complementary conceptualisations of time can influence the reproduction, transformation and disappearance of fear of crime in one particular urban place.…”

“…Pődör et al (2016), in their research on the city of Nagykanizsa in Hungary, also identified the city centre as an area of fear of crime. A study from Lublin in Poland (Pantyley et. al, 2017) presents similar types of places with similar fears of crime to the cities included in our research.…”