The effects that urban spaces can have on people have been analysed by various means. However, in the majority of cases, such analyses have been carried out after the event and based on memories of what was experienced. Such an approach can limit the number of emotions identified. The current research analyses the extent to which emotions identified after an event coincide with those experienced in situ (obtained using measurements of heart rate variability). The results highlight relevant differences between the emotions identified a posteriori and those experienced at a given moment. Specifically, significant differences in the perception of space according to gender have been identified: spaces in which fear was experienced and identified by men tended to differ from those identified by women.