Research on sense of security in Brussels continues and seeks additional participants

Brussels, 4 May 2026 - The citizen participation research Moment by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is still ongoing and is calling for additional participants to further strengthen the research. A few weeks after its launch, the researchers are already sharing first, preliminary insights from the data collected.

These first results show that the feeling of safety in Brussels public spaces is strongly determined by the presence of other people. Not so much personal characteristics such as age, gender or background, but especially the context and social environment appear to be decisive. The presence of others thereby has a double effect: it can increase the feeling of insecurity when people are perceived as unpredictable, but at the same time it can also increase the feeling of safety through social control and visibility. Interestingly, this social factor outweighs many physical features of the environment, such as lighting, cleanliness or camera surveillance.

"Public space is largely shaped by informal social dynamics," says researcher Petrus te Braak. "That we influence each other in how safe a place feels was known. But that effect turns out to be stronger than expected. It underlines that we all contribute, often unconsciously, to others' sense of safety."

The researchers stress that these findings are preliminary. The study is still in its early stages and the current insights are based on the first four weeks of data collection.

These initial insights do make it immediately clear why the study's innovative measurement method is essential. Unlike classical studies, the team behind Momenttakes a ​ fundamentally different approach to measuring feelings of safety, namely in 'real time', in the moment itself. Safety thus becomes visible for the first time as what it really is: a dynamic interplay of time, place, people and context.

Some 800 people already participated by downloading the app. Yet additional input remains crucial. "We find that participants often register only a limited number of moments," says Sven De Boeck of the Citizen Science Contact Point at the VUB. "This is precisely why we keep calling for participants to participate and share experiences regularly. The more and the more consistent the input, the more accurate the picture of how safety is perceived in the city."

The researchers are calling on Brussels residents and anyone who regularly moves around the capital to participate in the survey. Using the Moment app, participants can indicate in real time at more than 100 locations how safe they feel and why.

At a later stage, the results will be unlocked via an interactive dashboard on the project website, so that both participants and policymakers can use these insights to make the city safer and more inclusive.

The Moment app is available via the Apple App Store and Google Play. Participation is anonymous and open to anyone over 18 who regularly travels in Brussels.

Find out more and download the app at: moment.brussels

Contact:

Petrus Te Braak - Petrus.Te.Braak@vub.be - 0471 08 36 25