Sustainable City Lighting Impact and Evaluation Methodology of Lighting Quality from a User Perspective

Abstract

High quality artificial lighting of public places is one of the necessary functions of sustainable cities. It is much more than just providing sufficient light intensity with reduced energy consumption and low environmental impact. The solution to this challenge is not only technological, but also requires the consideration of the subjective approach, such as psychological, sociological, and aesthetic-functional. The article presents the SEC (Suitable for everyone, Environmentally-accepted, Cost-effective) methodology and model, which are placed in the context of sustainable city lighting. A holistic assessment approach of user environmental perception, priorities, and spatial responses is required to evaluate the impact of artificial night illumination. Lighting efficiency was expressed as the correspondence between environmental perception and spatial utilization during day and night. Ten sites with different urban background and illumination characteristics were selected. It was assumed that artificial night lighting influences the perception, priorities, and responsiveness of users. The validity of this argument was demonstrated at a relevant statistical level of p <0.05. The research results provided useful information about the current state, which is needed to prepare a sustainable lighting strategy, and could be compared between different or similar sites. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the artificial lighting of urban open spaces is of high quality when the difference in the spatial perception and spatial utilization between day and night is as small as possible.

Safe and Inclusive Urban Public Spaces: A Gendered Perspective. The Case of Attica’s Public Spaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece

“…Several studies have documented similar results regarding the relationship between public space safety, maintenance, and accessibility. The studies that follow back up the idea that the physical characteristics of public places, such as their upkeep and accessibility, play a critical role in shaping people's perceptions of safety, regardless of the nation or region examined (Blöbaum and Hunecke, 2005;Cafuta, 2021;Hami and Maruthaveeran, 2018;Polko and Kimic, 2022). However, it is critical to acknowledge that cultural, social, and political contexts can all have an impact on people's perceptions of safety and comfort in public places (Madanipour, 2021;2003).…”

Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting

“…The results are presented in Figure 5. Word clouds were generated (Figure 6) to verify in more detail the specific words used per SDG 1,4,9,11,12,13,15, for which the repetition values were above average (the arithmetic mean of the repetitions was 43). In order to be able to verify the dependence of the subject matter raised in the question, the number of repetitions of keywords for each SDG were summed up separately.…”

“…In order to be able to verify the dependence of the subject matter raised in the ques tion, the number of repetitions of keywords for each SDG were summed up separately The results are presented in Figure 5. Word clouds were generated (Figure 6) to verify in more detail the specific word used per SDG 1,4,9,11,12,13,15, for which the repetition values were above averag (the arithmetic mean of the repetitions was 43). Word clouds were generated (Figure 6) to verify in more detail the specific words used per SDG 1,4,9,11,12,13,15, for which the repetition values were above average (the arithmetic mean of the repetitions was 43).…”

“…Although the subject of sustainable cities at night is multi-faceted, it has not been treated in a holistic manner due to a lack of understanding on these complex, interlinked aspects. Up to the present time, some researchers have provided insights into the body of knowledge involving city lighting, from the perspective of energy performance [9], smart cities [10], virtual reality [11], assessment [12] or users' satisfaction [13]; however, there is still a noticeable lack of research on sustainable cities at night and the impact of light pollution from outdoor illumination on humans, flora and fauna in context of the UN's SDGs [14][15][16]. Thus, more studies are required to help further our understanding of these aspects.…”

An Investigation of the Influence of the Night Lighting in a Urban Park on Individuals’ Emotions

“…Research on this topic used mainly two different approaches. Bi-dimensional images of outdoor lighting scenes (photos or simulations) have been considered for a long time as sufficiently adequate to investigate subjective impressions of space and light [35,36]. However, their use implies some limitations.…”