When insecurity changes how people move

Urban mobility is not only a transportation problem. It is also shaped by perception, fear, routine, and unequal exposure to risk.

The EPJ Data Science paper on feelings of insecurity studies how perceived insecurity relates to daily movement, with a particular focus on gender differences. By connecting subjective perceptions with objective mobility data, the work shows how fear can become a real constraint on movement through the city.

For public policy, this points to a practical lesson: safer and more inclusive urban spaces are not only about reducing crime statistics. They are also about reducing the everyday constraints that prevent people from using streets, parks, bus stops, public transport, and shared city infrastructure freely.