Most of the galaxy is perfectly conducive to this. The overwhelming majority of my CMDR's interactions with other CMDRs, in Open, are non-violent.
The only way to have high-security imply near absolute safety is via arbitrary limitations on what actions can be taken that are far in excess of any precedent...or via the imposition of consequences severe enough to be a credible deterrent. I'm all for the latter, but most people that have a problem with the current status quo would have a much harder time if such consequences were implemented.
True. I couldn't agree more.
However, many commanders won't go to open because bad experiences tend to be more remembered

Almost all the games I have played have safe areas to be and risky ones full of incentives to go (better ores, selling prices, etc.)
In my experience forums like this one and Inara plus public Discords are way better choices for meeting people than anything in game. In fact, there isn’t a single person in my entire squadron that I met in game first and I consider many of them to be my closet friends period!
I won't be sending friend requests to anyone, but I do like to know that "that ship" is being flown by a real person instead of an NPC, and maybe exchange an "o7". The hollow squares make my game less hollow

Currently, instead of that, you have to be watching your back, even in SOL, while looking at those target's modules trying to find an interdictor.
Greetings.