In 2021 there were 177 cases of femicide in England and Wales; in cases where a perpetrator was charged 92% were male. Moreover, whilst sexual violence against women that results in death is the most serious and heinous of crimes, this is only one form of violence women are subjected to. In the year ending March 2020 there were 618,000 recorded cases of sexual assault, 9% of which occurred in public space.
By highlighting the statistical data wrought out from an assault, we call upon architects to reconsider how we design our built environments. Ultimately asking: how may architecture and urban design mitigate against sexual violence, ensuring women’s safety in public space?

In light of this aim, testing was conducted in Anfield, one of the worst affected wards for sexual offences in Liverpool. Building upon urban scholar, Vania Ceccato’s framework for designing safety, the following factors were considered (alongside urban design parameters):

(1) Planning solutions targeted at the ‘neighbourhood structure’ – developed and enforces by partnerships between ‘municipalities, police, community groups and local actors’,
(2) secondly, features of high-crime neighbourhoods – ‘lack of natural surveillance, empty properties, a lack of public facilities’.

Research into the socio-economic conditions of Anfield renders significant issues that resonate with Ceccato’s work. A significant factor of which has been the land speculation policy of Anfield Stadium. Since the early 1990s, the stadium has continued to expand its seating capacity. Given the stadium was neighboured by blocks of terraced housing however, this process would require acquisition of ordinary people’s homes. Rather than openly engage and negotiate with these residents, Liverpool FC would purchase these dwellings via a third party. Post-sale properties would then be left abandoned, thus engineering dilapidation, and increasing crime in the area.

To counteract the effects of Liverpool FC’s actions, which have propagated crime, we have proposed a scenario in which their recent stadium extension would be relocated. Rather than isolating this new increased activity within the stadium grounds, it would be displaced to a site at the end of the high-street. This intervention would provide another anchor point — the first being the Anfield stadium — which would increase footfall on the high street in-between. Beneficially it would facilitate a greater success for local businesses to take root and incentivise investment into regenerating abandoned units. And also, these people provide natural surveillance, reducing the likelihood of a perpetrator committing sexual assault.

Thesis Tutors

Dr Aikaterini Antonopoulou
Dr Francesca Piazzoni

Thesis VP

Prof Iain Jackson
Prof Maider Llaguno,

Thesis Critcs

Dr Frances Holliss

Special Mentions

SLDAS (South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services)
Georgina Baines (Principal Landscape Architect at Planit-ie)