How do we experience safety and pleasure in parks?

Parks: places where we relax, enjoy nature, or get some fresh air. But how do different people experience these parks? What makes you feel safe and comfortable? And how does your experience change depending on factors like the time of day?

To explore this, we have developed a digital city-building game where you can design your ideal park. What makes a park feel safe and pleasant to you? Join us and create your perfect park – your ideas can truly contribute to better and safer parks for everyone.

We aim to understand why people feel safe in parks and why they enjoy them. This can vary greatly depending on factors such as age, background, or habits. That’s why we invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate.

Your input will help us develop guidelines that municipalities can use to design parks where everyone feels comfortable. By participating, you contribute to a tangible outcome that will be visible in your city and beyond!

What are we working on?

We’re exploring how different groups of people experience safety and enjoyment in parks. While one person may find a park a relaxing place during the day, another might feel unsafe there at night due to factors like poor lighting or the absence of people nearby.

Our research aims to map out these differences. And how are we doing that? With a playful approach! In our interactive game, you can unleash your creativity and design a park yourself. Together, we’ll discover what truly makes a park safe and inviting.

What do we ask of you? 

The project consists of multiple phases. Depending on the phase we are in, we may ask you to complete a survey, participate in an interview, or play the video game where you design a park—either online on your own or with others in the lab at the University of Twente.

Who can participate and when? 

• You can participate if:
• You are between 18 and 65 years old.
• You speak Dutch or English.
  
  

Participation can take place remotely (online) or at the University of Twente. During registration, you can indicate your preference.

The research runs until October 2025. 

get to know the researcher!

 sign up

Thank you for your interest in signing up for the project 'Design your own park!'. Please fill in your details below, and the researcher will contact you.

• Participation in scientific research is always voluntary.
• If you sign up for a study, you will always receive an automatic confirmation email. This email will inform you about when to expect to hear from the researcher.
• The researcher will contact you, providing more information about the study and allowing you to ask any questions.
• After the contact with the researcher, you will confirm whether you want to participate. At that point, you will complete a 'Consent Form'.
• Once you give your consent, you will receive a copy of the consent form.
• An ethics committee has reviewed this research and given a positive recommendation. This means the committee has confirmed that the research is scientifically sound and will be conducted in accordance with participants' rights.
• Your contact details will only be used as you wish. We will only share your information with the researcher of the study you wish to participate in. If you have selected to stay informed about new studies, you will receive a message no more than once a month. If this changes, we will contact you first.
  Read here in detail how we handle personal data.