Illuminating Safety: Harnessing Dark Sky Lighting for Crime Prevention
by Vanessa Sula, CPD
“There must be eyes upon the street, eyes belonging to those we might call the natural proprietors of the street. The buildings on a street equipped to handle strangers and to ensure the safety of both residents and strangers, must be oriented to the street. They cannot turn their backs or blank sides on it and leave it blind.”
Lighting is a crucial factor in crime prevention, and it is one of the most common ones that we get wrong.
In an attempt to make a space “safer,” excessive amounts of lighting are thrown into a space, making it uncomfortable for the normal users of the space due to glare, brightness, and light trespass. Responsible lighting practices create a safer environment for people driving, people walking, people biking, and people engaging in outdoor activities. This article explores the relationship between the 5 principles of Dark Sky lighting and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). These simple approaches can lessen the opportunity for illicit activity and create a sense of security and quality of life in our communities.
The first step in tackling outdoor lighting is to assess your needs carefully before installation.
Consider why you need the lighting and where it will be placed. Do you need it to light up areas for human activity? Is it necessary for security? Will it affect the adjacent land use? Answering these questions will help you make informed decisions about the type and amount of lighting you need. Using reflective paint or self-luminous markers can reduce the need for permanent lighting if you are adjacent to a natural area. Other factors that must be taken into consideration are: current crime data, population, current use, expected use, and other key area demographics. You can make informed decisions and ensure a safe and comfortable outdoor environment by first assessing your need for outdoor lighting.
To ensure maximum visibility without causing glare, targeted and fully shielded lighting is employed.
This type of lighting, with the goal of uniformity, eliminates dark spots which can be exploited by people hiding in the shadows. Natural surveillance is a crucial aspect of CPTED, and unshielded lights can limit our pupils and cause glare. In contrast, fully shielded and accurately targeted lighting directs light precisely where it's needed, ensuring that residents and surveillance systems have a clear view of the environment. Properly shielded lighting can also reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, as aging eyes are particularly vulnerable to glare. Additionally, comfortable lighting can enhance the mood and sense of security for desired users, making them feel more comfortable to utilize the space at night. Properly targeted lighting enhances the use of the space, the comfort of the space, and the safety of the space.
Light intensity and uniformity can psychologically alter the “feel” of the space.
CPTED increases natural surveillance by creating an environment that is inviting and appealing to normal users, while also making it more difficult for abnormal users to operate without being observed. Low-level lighting also has positive implications for community mental health and quality of life. This emphasizes that safety extends beyond the prevention of criminal activities to encompass the overall well-being of residents. Under-resourced communities often suffer from inappropriate and oppressive lighting, which can negatively impact their welfare. Compare the lighting of a Hallmark movie to that of a crime drama. Which light intensity makes you feel more comfortable? By limiting the brightness of a bulb, you can improve walkability, improve safety, and increase the quality of life for your residents.
Responsible lighting systems use “smart” technologies to make cities safer and more efficient.
These systems can adjust brightness levels based on desired pedestrian activity and optimize lighting in real-time. If lights are set up at 50-90% brightness as the standard, it will significantly extend the life expectancy of the bulbs, lessening maintenance. In the case of an emergency, bulbs can be brought up to 100% brightness. Consider dimming the bulbs outside of desired hours of use to provide helpful visual cues for residents, reminding them when it's time to wrap up and head home. Motion lights can also identify when a subject is moving across an unlit area, turning on only when there is activity. Overall, smart lighting technology offers a range of advantages, from improving safety and security to reducing energy consumption and promoting public health.
After years of research, we know that the color temperature of lights can impact our health.
High-spectrum blue light can suppress melatonin production, which is essential for regulating sleep-wake cycles. This disruption may lead to difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality. Long-term exposure to artificial light at night has been associated with various health issues, including an increased risk of certain chronic conditions like myopia, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To promote the holistic well-being of its inhabitants, community-focused design should prioritize warm-temperature lighting with a high color rendering index (CRI). This type of lighting enhances the overall quality of life in communities. Parks, walkways, and public gathering spaces with warm glow lighting foster a sense of community and encourage residents to participate in outdoor activities, further solidifying a collective commitment to safety. To strike a balance between safety and well-being, it is recommended by the American Medical Association to use 3000K or below Kelvin temperature lighting with a high CRI (such as LED bulbs). By utilizing this type of lighting, you can create an inviting atmosphere while maintaining an effective level of illumination for the best natural surveillance.
Assessing the desired use of lighting, light shielding/targeting, light intensity/brightness, lighting color, and utilizing “smart” lighting options can all provide an improved quality of life for residents. Responsible lighting is an essential component of CPTED that can help improve natural surveillance, create natural access control, establish community territoriality, lessen maintenance, and activate a space with desired users. When implemented carefully and strategically, it can be an effective tool in promoting safety and security in our communities.