Ibid, p. 2

Figure 14 & 15: Photographs of the concourse by author

Externally, this environment does not appear inviting. It is dark and the colourful lights do not look like a sincere attempt at making this space more appealing. However, delving deeper into the light design, instead of creating a very bright space mostly lighting the floor, it focuses the lighting at head level, allowing people to see each other’s facial expressions and conclude their perceived safety. Despite this, its unapproachability creates a boundary that women must cross to use the city. Many buildings along this route do not provide natural, unpoliced surveillance of the street. Blank walls and disconnected facades create streets isolated from the activity occurring at their edges. This disconnect prevents natural surveillance by community members, instead creating a reliance on police surveillance, which can be intimidating to a woman navigating a city and, as seen in the case of Sarah Everard, undependable.

58 59

60 Leslie Kern, Feminist City (London: Verso, 2020), p. 93. 63 Wired Ltd, "Local Crime Information For West Street, Sheffield, S1 4FD - February 2022", Streetcheck, 2022 <https://www.streetcheck.co.uk/crime/s14fd> [Accessed 14 April 2022]. 60

61

Possibilities of natural surveillance – external visibility – should be factored into all urban architecture, street planning and landscaping.62

The facade in Figure 17 shows little interaction with West Street, an area with high crime statistics. The windows are elevated from the street which makes connection to the street 63 difficult. Instead, it is oriented inwards towards Holly Street and Sheffield City Hall. Even if dangerous activity was noticed it is unlikely that much could be done about it. Similarly, in Figure 16 the facade does not facilitate interaction between internal and external spaces, creating an isolated and uncomfortable route for female pedestrians. Introducing transparency between inside and outside can combat this.

Figure 11: Crossing on Crookes Valley Road 64

Figure 16: Photograph of The Information Commons by author Figure 17: Photograph of Slug & Lettuce on West Street by author