What actually makes a place feel safe?

We often assume safety is about crime rates and enforcement. But when I looked closely at Australia’s safest neighbourhoods, a more interesting story emerged.

Using 2025 Australian Liveability Census, I explored how people experience their neighbourhoods across the country and how feeling safe connects with other qualities of place. There things happening in Australia's safest neighbourhoods that aren't happing in neighbourhoods perceived as dangerous.

Are our approaches to improving safety always aligned with what helps people feel safe in their everyday lives? In my own city I notice a misalignment between the approaches used to improve safety and what actually makes a place feel safe.

I’ve written this article to unpack that misalignment and to explore what the data tells us about the physical and social factors that quietly underpin safety. https://placescore.org/more-than-policing-the-unexpected-correlation-of-neighbourhood-safety/

#PlaceMaking #CommunitySafety #UrbanPlanning #Liveability #Neighbourhoods