The Basic Process of Lighting as Key Factor in the Transition towards More Sustainable Urban Environments

Antonio Peña-García (), Agustín Castillo-Martínez and Sebastian Ernst
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Antonio Peña-García: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Agustín Castillo-Martínez: Department of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, University of Jaén, 23700 Linares, Spain
Sebastian Ernst: Department of Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Krakow, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The design of lighting installations on roads and urban infrastructure has strictly followed the regulatory requirements of each country for a long time. Based on the traffic intensity, the presence of pedestrians and the nature of activities within the area, these regulations have been used to establish the luminance or illuminance levels from or on the pavement, the minimum average uniformity, the maximum glare and the minimum energy efficiency. Accurate values of these static parameters are supposed to ensure safety, security, and efficacy, and have traditionally been considered as the main targets of lighting installations. Therefore, compliance with these regulations indicates whether an installation is legal or not. Although this philosophy is operative, the reality is different due to two main issues. First, the progressive ageing of populations, mainly in North America and Europe, the changing circumstances of traffic flow and modalities and the presence of groves or socioeconomic factors, might have a strong impact on the safety, security and sustainability of cities. Secondly, the current regulations leave out perceived safety and security issues, as well as the well-being of people; that is, how people feel about the city independently of real danger. In this research, the Basic Process of Lighting (BPL) is formulated including, for the first time, the human factors involved when people develop their activities under public lighting. Using this framework, the potential factors influencing human wellbeing and feelings are summarized after being rated by people in a survey distributed among 133 participants. The results highlight a higher perceived impact of social factors compared to physical and visual ones.

Keywords: urban lighting; sustainable cities; safety; security; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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