To fear or not to fear? Exploring the temporality of topophobia in urban environments

The concept of topophobia has been known in Geography for decades. Places which evoke fear in people’s minds can be found in almost every city. The perception of fear within an urban environment shows a certain spatio-temporal concentration and is often represented by fear of crime. The meaning of topophobic places, however, derived from the experience of fear of crime changes over time, and thus can alter the usual patterns of population behaviours in relation to time (in the time of the day and over longer periods) and space. A spatiotemporal understanding of these changes is therefore crucial for local decision-makers. Using data from the Czech Republic, this paper deals with the analysis of topophobic places, and is based on an empirical survey of the inhabitants of four cities, using the concept of mental mapping. In contrast to most similar geographical studies, the paper emphasises the temporal dimension of the fear of crime. The results have shown that over time there are significant differences in the meanings of topophobic places, and they have demonstrated the necessity of taking local specifics into account. The paper shows how the intensity of and the reasons for fears vary, depending on time and place. In general, the results provide support for the idea of place as a process and contain useful information for spatial planning and policy in urban areas.