New Sydney laneway upgrade launched to improve safety of women and girls

When a local council undertakes a town centre public domain upgrade, it is usually doing this to make the area more attractive and accessible, and therefore help grow the local economy.

In May, however, Cumberland Council unveiled a public domain upgrade with an altogether different purpose – making the area safer for women and girls.

According to research undertaken by consultants for the council, the Guildford town centre in western Sydney had a range of issues – particularly at night – which troubled women and girls. These included:

• The presence of crime and anti-social behaviour (including men loitering and harassing women)
• Insufficient or inadequate lighting
• Insufficient security features, such as closed circuit television or safety help points
• Male-dominated spaces
• Poor maintenance, cleanliness and vandalism
• Narrow laneways

A report by the Place Design Group on behalf of the council found that the “majority of places and spaces are male dominated, with women avoiding certain shops at certain times to avoid harassment or discomfort”.

A key problem area was identified as the Guildford Plaza, running between the main shopping strip on Guildford Rd and a public carpark, due to its dark walls, barren garden areas, a lack of lighting and trip hazards.

The report recommended this area should be designated as a “women’s space”, with “high-quality public domain with increased amenity for women, children and female youth with low-level planting, clustering seating, public art and lighting”.

On Saturday, 25 May, the council unveiled the upgrade of this area, which was supported by a $1m grant from Transport for NSW under the Safer Cities: Her Way pilot program.

Cumberland Mayor Lisa Lake told residents gathered for the Back to Guildford laneway festival that the change was designed to make the area “feel brighter and safer and better for women”.

“I want to thank the community, because a lot of you got involved in the Have Your Say program, to give ideas of what we can do, to make Guildford a happier, friendlier, family friendly place for women and girls in particular,” Mayor Lake said.

The Guildford Plaza, now called Guildford Laneway, includes wall murals designed by artist Sophie Odling, using bright shades of pinks and purples.

It also includes an upgraded laneway design, featuring new colourful street furniture with tables and benches, installation of smart technology, lighting, CCTV cameras and mobile phone charging stations.

Community consultation included a night walk to look for potential improvements, and was assisted by Cred Consulting.

It’s hoped that, over time, a range of other improvements will be made to the Guildford town centre.

My comment

In recent months, the safety of women and girls has a massive media and public policy focus. We’ve all read horrible stories about this issue.

Given this, it’s exciting to see how urban environment improvements can play their part, alongside policing, additional funding, new laws, support services and public education, to deliver a safer environment for women and girls.

While it’s concerning that many women and girls previously did not feel safe at Guildford, let’s hope the improvements which have been made – and hopefully will continue to be made – will make a difference.

Find out more about this initiative here.