The fear of crime is a very important element in women's safety. This means that for women to feel safe in public places it is necessary to address fear and perceptions of crime and actual levels of crime. A public place is a place open to everyone. It is generally maintained by public funds and is often the responsibility of local council. A public place may be a street or a building or a park.
Public places exist to support a community.
They fulfil a range of our social and recreational needs, provide an arena for us to conduct business and to access goods and services. To fully understand public places, we need to consider the ways people use the place. For example, bus stops and train stations are public places which people use to get from one place to another. As well as a physical place, it is an important community asset. The urban environment refers to everything that makes up a local community.