Differences in crime-safety perceptions according to type and quality of parks in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Background: Parks are essential physical activity resources in low-to-middle-income urban cities. Park attendance may be affected by different factors. People in Guadalajara report feeling unsafe in parks compared to other cities (IIEG 2021). However, no studies have examined differences in crime-safety perceptions related to the type or quality of park characteristics.

Purpose: To assess the crime-safety perceptions of park users according to the type and quality of parks in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Methods: The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument was used to assess the quality of features and amenities in six parks: 1) Metropolitan park with control gate access (MPCA), n=2, 2) Metropolitan park without control gate access (MPWCA), n=2, and 3) Lineal park (LP; public space along avenues), n=2 by two trained observers. Crime-safety perceptions in parks were assessed in 395 Mexican adult park users using the crime-safety subscale of the Spanish Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale–Abbreviated (NEWS-A; Salvo et al. 2014). Descriptive statistics and PERMANOVA tests were performed in the RStudio 2023.12.0 version.

Results: Significant differences in perceived crime-safety according to park type were found (p = 0.002). Specifically, LPs compared to MPCAs (p = 0.006) and to MPWCAs (p=0.004). LPs were perceived as the safer type of park (M=2.41) compared with MPWCAs (M=2.75) and MPCAs (M=2.33). LPs obtained the highest quality PARA score for features (M= 2.88, SD=0.09) and amenities (M=2.80, SD=0.14). However, LPs also contained the highest presence of incivilities (M=1.80, SD=0.14).

Conclusions: Results reveal significant differences in crime-safety perceptions among park users based on park type. Lineal parks were perceived as safer from crime despite having the highest presence of incivilities. Future research is needed to explore how park characteristics influence crime-safety perceptions.

Practical implications: These results will inform efforts to encourage use of parks as physical activity resources in low-to-middle-income countries such as Mexico.

No-funding.