By Ilya Ilyankou
Publication Date: 2025-12-11 13:10:00
The historic walled city of Derry (also known as Londonderry) in Northern Ireland is bustling with nightlife. But like many urban centers, it poses security challenges for those trying to get home. At night, a volunteer group called the Inner City Assistance Team (iCat) often patrols the streets and intervenes when people feel vulnerable – whether due to intoxication, a mental health problem or simply being alone in unlit or unfamiliar areas.
Recently, iCat launched Safest Way in the city, a pedestrian navigation app that I helped develop during my PhD at UCL. The app uses AI technology to show users not only faster, but also safer routes when going to and from a destination – for example, the safest way home after a long night out.
The need for such interventions lies in the fact that women and men have large differences in the way urban safety is perceived.
Research from the Office for National Statistics in 2022 found that 82% of women feel unsafe going out alone.
