Harrogate is a large spa town in North Yorkshire that is home to around 70,000 people. It has a vibrant high street that is home to all the big shopping brands. The town is well known for having a large green space near the centre called ‘The Stray’ and ‘The Valley Gardens’, meaning that the citizens of Harrogate are spoiled for choice in recreational green space. However, as reported in the media, sometimes people feel more vulnerable in these open green spaces at night compared to today.

The problem is in urban areas.

Most, if not all, of the world’s cities struggle to put practices in place to make their citizens feel safer during the night, especially in the case of green spaces like parks. This feeling mainly comes down to the lack of lighting in these regions, as the cost of powering lights for a large urban park is far too great compared to the number of people that would use them. But since green spaces are scientifically proven to benefit us both physically and mentally, councils must try to find a balance between safety and cost. (Douglas, 2021)

The study locations

On a recent visit to Harrogate, I made notes on the placement of both streetlights and CCTV cameras on a pre-planned walk around the centre of the town. On my walk, I made sure my path led across some of Harrogate’s green spaces, such as The Stray and The Valley Gardens, while also travelling through the central shopping areas.

The three main locations of my study were as follows:

West Park Stray – The Stray is a collection of large open fields just south of the centre of Harrogate that are crisscrossed with paths that are used by the general public to make their journey to and from work quicker.

Valley Gardens – The Valley Gardens is an old Victorian park located close to the centre of Harrogate. Its unique, well-manicured gardens and slow, trickling streams draw people from all over Yorkshire. (Visit Harrogate , 2022)

Centre – Harrogate has a very vibrant town centre that encompasses a large area that is filled with a wide variety of shops.

Day

West Park Stray – I felt very safe whilst walking across this area, even safer than walking through the centre during the day, as I could see anyone approaching me many minutes before they arrived. The lack of trees makes for a large, unbroken piece of green space. In addition, the busy streets and shops around the fields add an extra sense of safety, as someone will be able to see any possible confrontation if something were to happen.

Valley Gardens – The Valley Gardens is a very busy park during the day, with many residents using its facilities for recreational purposes. Some areas are shaded by large trees, but even then, I never felt in danger while walking through the park. The whole daytime atmosphere of the park was great, and I saw people of all ages there enjoying their local green space. However, I did not notice a single CCTV camera while there, which was not a problem during the daytime, but their absence did not fill me with confidence, especially considering all the places someone could hide.

Centre – Harrogate centre during the day felt safe, which would be down to the wide pedestrian paths and well-maintained shops that are all over the town, whereas a run-down centre would make me wary about walking through it even during the day. Such a run-down condition could be caused by either the shops having been attacked or not getting enough money to renovate or maintain their premises.

During my walk through the centre, there were lots of people going about their business, creating the sort of vibrant atmosphere you would expect of a large, spar town in Yorkshire. I even saw a few police patrolling; this didn’t make me nervous, thinking, “Why are they there?”.

Figure 1- Harrogate during the day

Night

West Park Stray – The long, straight paths that cross the fields are very poorly lit, with only a handful spread out across the path. There did seem to be a streetlight at each path junction, as you can see in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, there is a dense collection of streetlights along the roads around the fields, which did provide some light for those walking across the Stray. But you are left with large sections of the field where you wouldn’t be able to see if anyone was in front of you or, for that matter, approaching you.

Valley Gardens – The Valley Gardens during the night demonstrated a large contrast to the day. There are a large number of lights along the paths (43); however, these are rather small compared to the ones found in the centre. Furthermore, they have a more orange tint to them, so they don’t disturb wildlife. As a result, there are large, dark patches in the centre of the park where someone could easily hide, and you would never know they were there.

Centre – The centre during the night was different from it at daytime, although initially there was still some activity, mainly employees closing up for the day shops. The outdoor light was made better by the fact the shops in the centre don’t have a large metal shutter, which you might see in other towns or cities, that blocks out all the night lights from inside the shops. Furthermore, the observations I made during the day reminded me that there are about 7 CCTV cameras around the centre, which are operated by the council, and that the large number of lights makes for an overall safe experience. CCTV cameras have proven to make a difference in catching criminals. A few years after their installation in a small Scottish town, the local police were able to solve 8% more of all crimes committed in the town (Ashby, 2017). Making them a great addition to Harrogate.

Figure 2 – Harrogate during the night

Ways to Improve

My opinions of safety throughout Harrogate are slightly biassed for three reasons: The first is that I have been to the town on many occasions and am therefore familiar with the surroundings and general vibe of the town. The second reason is that I was walking around with a large group of people, not by myself. Finally, the fact that I am a male does alter my perspective overall, as a larger portion of women feel in danger when walking at night compared to men (Clifton, 2005). However, I do feel that I have made a case for the ‘danger’ of the town as if I were walking by myself.

Conclusion

Harrogate is a great and very friendly town during the day that is welcoming to all. The council has taken measures to make the people of Harrogate feel safe during the night. However, I do believe they could have done more, particularly on The Stray, as both lighting and CCTV coverage are really poor for such an affluent town. I would like to think that both men and particularly women feel safe, or at least safer, when walking in Harrogate as a result of good lighting in and around the centre, regardless of the time of day.

Bibliography

Ashby, M. P. J., 2017. The Value of CCTV Surveillance Cameras as an Investigative Tool: An Empirical Analysis. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, XXIII(1), pp. 441-459.

Clifton, K. J. a. A. D. L., 2005. Gender Differences in Walking Behavior, Attitudes About Walking, and Perceptions of the Environment in Three Maryland Communities. In: n Conference Proceedings 35: Research on Women’s Issues in Transportation, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. Washington D.C: s.n., pp. 79-88.

Douglas, K. D. a. J., 2021. Green spaces aren’t just for nature – they boost our mental health too.. New Scientist, 24 March.

İlknur TÜRKSEVEN DOĞRUSOY, R. Z., 2016. ANALYSIS OF PERCEIVED SAFETY IN URBAN PARKS:, İzmir: s.n.

Visit Harrogate , 2022. Valley Gardens, Harrogate. [Online]
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Weiler, R. S. a. B., 2019. Best practice principles for communicating safety messages in national parks. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Volume XXV, pp. 132-142.