Safe Cities | Safe Streets

Creating safer, more inclusive streets and public spaces for everyone

What is Safe Cities | Safe Streets?

Safe Cities | Safe Streets is a community-centred initiative led by Queensland Walks, in partnership with the Zonta Club of Brisbane and supported by researchers from the University of Queensland.

It brings people together to explore how public spaces feel and function especially after dark and how we can make streets safer, more welcoming and more inclusive for all people, particularly women and girls. This initiative uses guided night walks and community conversations to gather lived experience, build awareness, and inform practical improvements to local streets and civic spaces.

Why it matters

Everyone benefits when public spaces feel safe, accessible and active. Research shows that many women and girls do not feel safe walking alone at night, which can influence how, when, where, and if they travel, work, study or participate in community life.

Safe Cities Safe Streets focuses on:

listening to lived experience
creating opportunity for community connections and voice
gathering real insights about safety, lighting, design and activation
supporting stronger, people-centred advocacy for safer streets.

It is grounded in the belief that safety in public spaces is a basic human right, not just a design feature.

What is the focus?

The Safe Cities | Safe Streets program explores how various factors influence both actual safety and perceptions of safety for people walking.

These factors include:

Lighting and visibility
Street layout and design
Active frontages and land use
Wayfinding and legibility
The presence of people and activity

These factors align with the Elements of a Walkable Place at Night, which provide a simple framework for understanding and improving how places function after dark. View the Elements of a Walkable Place at Night.

How it works

Safe Cities | Safe Streets brings people together through guided night walks, workshops and research opportunities that focus on how places are experienced and feel at night.

During a Safe Cities | Safe Streets Night Walk, participants:

walk together at night through a selected precinct
share experiences about what feels safe or unsafe
complete short surveys or discussions to document perceptions
identify opportunities for practical improvements such as lighting, visibility, pathways, wayfinding and activation
join post-walk conversations about what works and what could change

These insights help local communities, planners, councils and advocates better understand how places perform after dark and what needs to happen to make streets safer for people of all genders and abilities.

Who it’s for?

Safe Cities | Safe Streets is for:

local residents and community members
community groups and organisations
planners, designers and researchers
local councils and government agencies
anyone interested in safer, more inclusive public spaces

Whether you walk, roll, commute or socialise through your neighbourhood after dark, your voice matters in shaping safer streets for all.

Safe Cities | Safe Streets Story Map

Queensland Walks has delivered a series of Safe Cities Safe Streets Night Walks across Queensland, including South Bank, Zillmere, around Suncorp Stadium, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay.

Insights from these walks have been captured in an interactive story map, showcasing where participants walked, the locations discussed, and key themes emerging from community feedback.

The story map presents survey data and lived experience in a visual and accessible format, helping to highlight common safety challenges and opportunities for improvement across different places.

Explore the Safe Cities Safe Streets Story Map

What can you do?

Want to be involved?

Host your own Safe Cities | Safe Streets walk
Use our free Safe Cities | Safe Streets Toolkit to organise a night walk in your community — gather local insights and advocate for positive change.

Join an upcoming event
See where Safe Cities | Safe Streets walks are happening in your region and register to participate.

Share your experience
Your stories and observations help build stronger evidence for better design, planning and activation. Contact info@queenslandwalks.org.au

Resources

Safe Cities | Safe Streets Toolkit — download and use the free toolkit to host your own event.
Safe Cities | Safe Streets Story Map — explore interactive maps and insights from night walks across Queensland.
Elements of a Walkable Place at Night — a practical framework to guide safer, more inclusive place design after dark.

Get Involved

Ready to take part or host a walk?
Contact Queensland Walks to explore how you can help make your streets safer, more walkable and more inclusive.