Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) have become an increasingly prominent and contested feature of transport and planning policy within the United Kingdom. Existing research has largely focused on their impacts on traffic reduction, air quality, active travel and public health outcomes, whilst comparatively limited attention has been paid to questions of personal safety and perceptions of safety within transformed street environments.

This paper expands upon a limited but emerging body of research assessing the relationship between LTN interventions, street crime and perceived safety. Whilst existing studies suggest LTNs may contribute towards reductions in crime, calmer streets and improved neighbourhood conditions, research remains limited, particularly outside of London. Any evidence demonstrating improvements in safety associated with LTNs provides further support for what remains a frequently controversial planning intervention.

Using Birmingham as a case study, the research combines quantitative analysis of police-recorded violent and sexual offences over time with qualitative investigation through surveys, interviews and participatory mapping exercises involving local residents and workers. The study examines how perceptions of safety are influenced by changes in traffic permeability, street activity, visibility and informal surveillance following LTN implementation. Particular attention is given to women’s experiences of public space and how this can change within LTN environments.