This is a cool post on a study done by a research team in the City of Saskatoon, looking at the perceptions of safety in a downtown area. They used Fulcrum to collect survey data using a safety audit developed to capture the on-the-ground intelligence from residents:

Because we were interested in perceptions and fear at a very micro-level, the study area was confined to the blocks and laneways within a four block area. We used our new app to collect information from 108 micro-spatial locations within a radius of 30 meters (100 feet) of each location, and then we also collected 596 additional intercept surveys with members of the public on the street at the time.

The urban design strategy known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is about creating safer neighborhoods through specifically constructing the built environment. From their takeaways in the study:

Interestingly, the respondents’ night-time perceptions did not appear as negative as we expected. Some parts were so inactive at night that we obtained very few interview responses. While CPTED surveys conducted by one team concluded these underactive areas were anxiety-provoking, when late-night social events and festivals activated the area, it positively influenced the perceptions in our surveys with the public.