Diana Ionescu wrote:

"In a new survey conducted by two Columbia University researchers and published by Leading Cities, people of all genders from 12 countries (including the U.S.) were asked about how safe — or unsafe — they felt while walking in their communities, and how the features of their built environments impacted their perceptions," reports Kea Wilson. Women-identified respondents overwhelmingly cited the fear of sexual assault as the top reason they "always" or "very frequently" choose to avoid walking to their destinations. "Of the small sample of gender non-binary people who responded to the survey, sexual assault also ranked as a top concern. But zero men who responded to the survey said the same."

For urban planners, this research has powerful implications that should influence the way we design streets and cities. "But the researchers behind the paper said that theirs is one of the first attempts to actually quantify just how deeply pervasive (and sometimes deeply inhibiting) fears of violence really are among women and enbies who walk — something which the predominantly male practitioners who shape the street environment don’t always fully appreciate."