Beyond Safety and Surveillance: New Possibilities for Public Light After Dark

Abstract

As cities refocus planning and design goals in response to evolving global standards for urban well-being, sustainability, and spatial equity, research on best practices and innovative considerations for the public realm has expanded. As a result, a new movement in research and guidance on public light has emerged. Rather than continuing to view lighting as a punitive means of enforcing surveillance and public safety, this movement in research and practice advances radically inclusive, responsive design methods that use light to redress inequality in the built environment. This thesis builds on a growing body of research that establishes the powerful influence of light on human experience and perception, initiating a dialogue between different models for place-based approaches to lighting design in shared public spaces. Drawing on in-depth studies of these models, interviews with stakeholders, scholarship, policy, and design and planning practice, this thesis recommends that city planners serve as the bridge between ideation and implementation in a new era of urban illumination.