Safety and privacy perceptions in public spaces: An empirical study on user requirements for city mobility

Abstract

Mobility represents an essential prerequisite for the participation in social lives in urban environments. However, seamless mobility and traveling is based on dwellers’ perception of a high personal safety at different urban locations. Safety can be supported by adequate surveillance technologies (e.g., cameras, but any surveillance undermines individual wishes for protection of privacy. In this empirical study, we explore users’ perceptions on safety and privacy. Using an online survey, 99 users were requested to indicate their acceptance of different types of technologies that increase safety, differentiating perceived benefits and barriers. Also, we explored acceptance differences towards surveillance technologies during day- and nighttime at various locations (private and public). Finally, we determined the trade-off between the wish for increasing safety and the wish for privacy.