Analysis of the Effect of Safety Awareness Before and After the Improvement of Public Toilets Using a Virtual Reality Mode

Due to their nature, public toilets are often targeted for crimes and are perceived as places that can induce fear among users. This study aims to review the factors that induce fear of crime in public toilets, identified through existing related previous studies, and to examine users' perceptions of the effectiveness of crime prevention techniques implemented through a VR experience of a safe public toilet. This study provides important insights into creating a safe public toilet environment. The main analysis results showed that users' overall perceptions of the effectiveness of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) elements applied to prevent crime and reduce fear of crime in public toilets, such as interior and exterior lighting, CCTV, entrance door design (transparent doors below the waist), 'safe toilet' signage, internal emergency bells, olfactory and auditory elements, safe toilet announcements, and maintenance and management techniques, were very positive. Based on the results derived from this study, it was suggested that there is a need to establish specific crime prevention design standards considering the effectiveness of each element in creating safe public toilets in reality. Lastly, the study's limitations were presented.