An integrated assessment model for real and perceived safety in urban green areas: methodological application to the Naples case study

Urban green spaces are recognized as essential components of urban quality of life, but also as places where critical issues related to both actual and perceived safety emerge. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 16 of the 2030 Agenda, the concept of safety can no longer be interpreted exclusively through the lens of control policies; rather, it should be understood as a fundamental ‘public good’. From this perspective, the contribution is positioned within the theoretical debate initiated by the pioneering work of Jane Jacobs and subsequently developed by Newman, which led to the formulation of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) theory, centered on the role of environmental design in crime prevention. Against this theoretical backdrop, the paper outlines the phases of the research project "Security Town through Urban Planning" [SeTUP], funded under the PRIN PNRR 2022 program. The project aims to develop an integrated assessment model for security in urban green areas. The methodology combines objective and subjective analyses through an integrated top-down and bottom-up approach, designed to construct a dataset capable of identifying high-risk areas and guiding mitigation interventions. Within this framework, the research unit of the Department of Architecture at the University of Naples Federico II focused its analysis on equipped public green spaces within the Municipality of Naples and their immediate surroundings, operating at the neighborhood scale and the 15-minute walking radius. The results, presented through a geo-database and synthesis maps, aim to identify strategies for enhancing the quality, safety, and usability of green spaces, thereby contributing to the strengthening of social cohesion and the overall well-being of inhabitants.