Defining safety in the city

Jane Jacobs nailed it when she said that when we think of a city the thing that comes to mind is the streets, and when we describe a city we always describe the streets. I had never thought of that before and it made me reflect on the places I have been and what I think of those places. Like Jane Jacobs if the streets were interesting I usually have good memories and think the place was interesting, and the same goes for the opposite. Places I did not enjoy were places that the streets were crowded and not enjoyable.

My question is why is this the way we perceive places?  For me personally it is not just cities that I feel this way about it is a lot of things that I have good or bad feelings about just because of how I felt in those public places. A city that only had crimes occur indoors would be no safer than a city where all of the crime occurs on the street and yet when we think of it the thought of vulnerability within those public spaces amplify the feelings of safety or danger and makes irrational feelings. I am not saying that Jane Jacobs is wrong in how we perceive our surroundings, but I do think that a more rational understanding of places should be taken before labeling them.