Lighting the path towards darker skies

Spotlight on safety

Lighting serves an array of roles that transcend its basic functional necessity. Often taken for granted, it forms an integral part of urban landscapes, shaping not just our streets but also our social and cultural identities. From the warm glow of streetlights lining historic avenues to the dynamic light installations in modern cityscapes, each type of lighting imparts a unique character.

Lighting professionals and urban planners increasingly refer to light ambience when talking about the dark sky issue. This ambience isn’t just how cosy and inviting a setting seems; it’s about setting a broader tone, such as enhancing architectural features. There’s a real role for light in creating spaces where people feel comfortable, safe, and engaged.

A shift from, for example, yellowish sodium lamps to LEDs offering different colour temperatures can subtly yet significantly alter public perception. Such a change might not only affect the visual aesthetics but also have implications for safety and well-being.

An intricate discourse

The discourse on urban lighting has evolved significantly, moving away from a compartmentalised focus on either aesthetics and functionality or environmental considerations like darker skies. This bifurcated approach is no longer viable given our increased understanding of how these elements are intrinsically linked.

Today's challenge is more complex, demanding a balanced and harmonious approach to lighting design that considers both human and environmental needs. Growing awareness of light pollution's multifaceted impact—not just on astronomy but also on wildlife and human health—is prompting a re-evaluation of how we approach lighting in urban settings.

This shift elevates the importance of developing integrated solutions that are aesthetically pleasing, functionally effective, and environmentally responsible. As cities around the world adapt their lighting strategies, the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among lighting designers, urban planners, and environmentalists has never been more critical.

Blinded by the light

Artificial light can play havoc with nocturnal animals. It’s a problem growing in concern and in scientific inquiry. Any exterior light can disrupt the lives of many species, altering natural behaviours and biological processes crucial for survival. Lighting attracts insects, who mistake it for the stars they use to navigate, rendering them easy prey and consequently affecting the food chain. This, in turn, can have cascading effects on predators that rely on these insects for sustenance.

Bird species that migrate at night can also be significantly perturbed. Bright lights can disorient birds, leading to collisions with buildings or causing them to veer off their natural migratory paths. Light pollution has been implicated in the decline of bird populations, as it disrupts the natural cues they rely on for navigation.

Mammals like bats, too, are particularly susceptible. Light pollution can affect their hunting patterns and limit their access to food. Many bats rely on the cover of darkness to hunt for insects. Artificial lighting can deter bats from areas where they would typically feed, forcing them into less suitable habitats that may not provide adequate nutrition.

Not even the plants are happy with the situation. Human-made light can disrupt natural cycles of flowering and fruiting and affect photosynthesis. This can lead to the growth of invasive or weed species over native plants, disrupting local ecosystems. These changes have a cascade effect, impacting not just the plants but also the animals and larger ecological networks that depend on them.

Who solves the problem?

The campaign for darker skies is gaining public and political momentum, evidenced by the election of officials in France who are committed to reducing light pollution. It's increasingly seen as a societal issue with multifaceted implications, affecting not just astronomy but also wildlife and human health.

Growing scientific evidence on its adverse effects, such as sleep disorders, is raising public awareness and making reform in lighting design a pressing issue. This diverse coalition of stakeholders, including politicians, academics, and the public, is crucial for effecting significant changes in public policy and industry practices, offering the multidisciplinary approach needed to solve the complexities of modern lighting challenges.

In France, light pollution law aims to reduce unnecessary light output from all non-residential premises.  It has now been 10 years since it was decreed that interior lights in offices and commercial buildings must be switched off an hour after the last worker has left.

Training and awareness

Fagerhult places great emphasis on responsible lighting and education. We offer specialised training sessions aimed at decision-makers and professionals such as landscape designers. These sessions explore critical issues in modern lighting, such as the trend of retrofitting existing systems with adaptable colour temperatures and motion sensors. This allows cities to reduce their light pollution footprint without compromising on key aspects like safety.

Our training goes beyond the technical, incorporating experiential learning. In our dedicated facility, we simulate various lighting conditions, including dark sky environments, so participants can understand the real-world implications of different lighting setups. They can experience, for example, how a shift in colour temperature can affect mood and blood pressure.

We also address how lighting impacts other sensory experiences, like the perception of ambient noise or spatial dimensions. Our hands-on approach aims not just to educate but also to instil a sense of ethical responsibility.