Feeling safe in public spaces is essential for thriving communities. When people feel confident to move freely, day and night, they are more likely to walk, run, get active, and connect with each other and their local area. That’s why Council is partnering with Transport for NSW on the Safer Cities: Her Way 2 program.
When women, girls, and gender diverse people feel safe moving through public spaces, everyone benefits. Safer spaces for women, girls and gender diverse people mean more welcoming and thriving communities for all.
This project aims to bring community members together through workshops, surveys, and place-based activities to identify barriers, opportunities and practical initiatives focused on running, walking, and moving through public spaces. The aim is to improve safety, comfort, and accessibility across the Parramatta Local Government Area. Insights gathered through the project will help inform the co-design and delivery of a community-led pilot running, walking or movement route at a location within the Parramatta LGA by the end of 2027 that addresses issues identified by local people.
Help us create spaces where everyone feels confident to freely move through after dark.
This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government, through Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities: Her Way program.
1. Rate the safety of a location you move through within the Parramatta LGA to help identify place-based improvements.
2. Complete a survey to tell us more about how you run, walk or move through public spaces during the day or night.
3. Register your interest for a day or night walk or a co-design workshop to help develop ideas for a pilot program in 2027. Please note that participation is not guaranteed, as participants will be selected to ensure a diverse and representative mix of the community.
What will the pilot program look like?
That’s what we’d like your help with.
The survey aims to understand people’s experiences of running, walking and moving through public spaces after dark across the City of Parramatta, with a particular focus on the experiences of women, girls and gender-diverse people, who often face additional barriers. The findings will help identify community led solutions and inform a pilot program to support greater confidence, participation and enjoyment of public spaces after dark.
Through your survey feedback and a co-design process, we’ll work with local people to identify ideas that could help improve perceptions of safety at night. These ideas could range from temporary initiatives, such as events, social activities, activations and public art, through to longer-term improvements like better lighting, seating, wayfinding, urban design changes, or even new policies and programs.
Your feedback will help identify the solutions that are most valuable, practical and impactful for people who live, work and spend time in the Parramatta LGA, as well as the best location for a pilot program. While not every idea can be delivered through the pilot, the insights gathered will help inform future Council activities, events, programs and infrastructure design to improve safety and confidence in public spaces after dark.
Other ways to provide feedback
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Verbal Click here
Please note that the verbal feedback option is being offered for those that cannot provide or may find it difficult to provide written feedback.
Post
City of Parramatta Council
Attn: Integrated Grants & Projects Team
Subject: Own the night
PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124
Please ensure that you clearly state your full name, contact details and address.
Frequently asked questions
Co-design means working together with the people who will be affected by a project to develop ideas, solutions or programs.
Through co-design, community members and Council work together to:
• Share experiences and identify issues
• Explore ideas and possible solutions
• Discuss what would work best in Parramatta
• Help shape a pilot program that Council could trial
Co-design helps ensure that proposed solutions are informed by the needs, experiences and ideas of the people who live, work and spend time in the City of Parramatta.
What Council delivers as part of the pilot will be informed by the feedback received through the survey, workshops, and other engagement activities between now and December 2026.
The focus of the project is on encouraging movement and getting active in all its forms, with a particular focus on running and walking. The pilot may include a community-identified route, events, public space improvements, or other innovative ideas that emerge through the engagement process.
We are keeping an open mind and want the community to help shape the outcomes, rather than limiting the project to a predetermined solution.
The insights gathered will help Council identify and trial the initiatives that are most likely to support the community to move and get active by improving perceptions of safety, encouraging greater night-time activity, and creating a more welcoming public space for everyone.
Transport for NSW has funded a range of projects across New South Wales through the Safer Cities: Her Way program to help improve perceptions of safety and support more inclusive participation in public spaces at all times of the day.
Examples include projects that have:
• Activated public spaces through events, programming and community activities.
• Improved lighting, wayfinding and public amenities.
• Trialed safer walking and movement routes.
• Used community co-design to identify barriers to participation and test local solutions.
• Increased visibility and representation of women and gender-diverse people in public spaces.
To learn more about projects delivered through the program, please refer to the Safer Cities: Her Way case studies compiled by Transport for NSW, which showcase a range of initiatives and lessons learned from projects delivered through the previous phase of the program across NSW.
Yes you can, however the project will focus on delivering initiatives that can help improve feelings of safety after dark. Feedback about feelings of safety during the day will be considered as part of the overall program.
Research undertaken by Transport for NSW (2023) highlighted that most women do not feel safe in public space after dark, and they are significantly more likely than men to feel unsafe with 59% of women reporting feeling unsafe compared to 31% of men.
Council and Transport for NSW want to work with the community, particularly women, girls and gender-diverse people, to support safer and more confident movement after dark.
We want to test local community-informed interventions and improvements that help activate public spaces, enhance perceptions of safety, and encourage greater night-time movement and participation within the Parramatta LGA.
Figure 1. Perceptions of safety when walking or moving through public spaces, including streets, squares, parks and transport hubs after dark. Source: TfNSW Safe Cities: Her Way survey, pg 12.
This project is proudly funded through a $150,000 grant from Transport for NSW (TfNSW)under the Safer Cities: Her Way 2 program. The funding supports community engagement, co-design activities, research, and pilot initiatives aimed at improving safety, inclusion and confidence for women and gender-diverse people moving through public spaces after dark.
Yes, the project is being delivered within the City of Parramatta local government area and its scope is limited to locations within the Council boundary.
Everyone is welcome to provide feedback and participate in the project. We are seeking a wide range of perspectives to help build a comprehensive understanding of what would make our city feel safer and more welcoming after dark.
Research undertaken by Transport for NSW (2023) shows that women are significantly more likely than men to feel unsafe at night, so we are particularly keen to hear from women, girls and gender-diverse people to help ensure any proposed improvements respond to their experiences and needs.
However, this project is for the whole community, and we encourage everyone to complete the survey and share their ideas and experiences.
If you need assistance providing feedback, or you would like information supplied in another language or format, please contact Council's Community Engagement Team via 1300 617 058 or participate@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au.
If you would like to speak to someone over the phone in another language, call TIS National on 131 450 for a free interpreting service. Let them know you want to speak to City of Parramatta Council and your chosen language and they will connect you.
다른 언어로 전화 문의를 원하시면, 통번역 서비스(TIS National) 전화 131 450번으로 연락해 무료 통역을 이용하십시오. 파라마타 시 카운슬과 통화를 원한다고 말하고 해당 언어를 선택하시면 연결됩니다.
काउंसिल यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है कि सभी लोगों को अपनी ज़रूरत की जानकारी सुलभ हो। अगर आप किसी अन्य भाषा या फॉर्मेट में जानकारी चाहते/चाहती हैं, तो कृपया 1300 617 058 पर कॉल करें या participate@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au पर ईमेल भेजें
अगर आप फ़ोन पर किसी अन्य भाषा में बात करना चाहते/चाहती हैं, तो निःशुल्क दुभाषिया सेवा के लिए 131 450 पर TIS National को कॉल करें। उन्हें बताएं कि आप सिटी ऑफ़ पैरामाटा काउंसिल से अपनी चुनी हुई भाषा में बात करना चाहते/चाहती हैं और वे आपको कनेक्ट करेंगे।
يلتزم المجلس بالتأكد من إمكانية وصول الجميع إلى المعلومات التي
يحتاجونها. إذا كنت ترغب في الحصول على معلومات بلغة أخرى أو نسق
آخر، يُرجى الاتصال على الرقم 1300617058 أو إرسال رسالة إلى
إذا كنت ترغب في التحدث إلى أحد الموظفين عبر الهاتف بلغة أخرى،
TIS National اتصل بـ
على الرقم
131450
للحصول على خدمة ترجمة
مجانية. اخبرهم بأنك تريد التحدث إلى مجلس مدينة باراماتا وحدِّد لهم لغتك
المختارة وسوف يصلونك بالمجلس هاتفياً
Your language
Need an interpreter? Please phone TIS on 131 450.
If you are deaf and/or find it hard hearing or speaking with people who use a phone, please contact the National Relay Service at relayservice.gov.au and provide them the City of Parramatta contact number, 1300 617 058.
Timeline
October - December 2026
Community engagement and co-design activities, including workshops, walk-shops, surveys and place-based feedback
January - June 2027
Determine proposed pilot
July - December 2027
Trial the community-identified route or initiatives
January - June 2028 onwards
Re-engage with the community to evaluate the project outcomes, review learnings, and explore future funding opportunities, where possible.
This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government through Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities: Her Way program.
Rate the safety of a location you move through within the Parramatta LGA to help identify place-based improvements. 
2. Complete a survey to tell us more about how you run, walk or move through public spaces during the day or night.
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