From dark corners and nocturnal places: light & safety in urban spaces

Especially “nocturnal” places in the city suffer from the myth of dark corners where dangerous characters lie in wait. To counter this, these corners are often illuminated from above by powerful floodlights. From a human perspective completely understandable; the dark corner is now illuminated. Photometrically speaking, exactly the opposite takes place. If one steps out of the dark into this cone of light, one is temporarily blinded until the eyes adjust to the new setting. The dark area outside of the light is perceived to be even darker. The person standing under the light is now even more exposed, while someone in the dark becomes less visible. But how can these nocturnal spaces be better illuminated, as to improve the safety and quality of stay?

Info

Participants:

Peter Uhrig | Light Designer | Selux | Berlin (DE)
Benedikt John Huggins | WM Law Faculty | University of Münster (DE)
Ulrike Brandi | Ulrike Brandi Licht | Member of the Hamburg Light Advisory Council | Hamburg (DE)

Moderation:
Dr. Annette Krop-Benesch | Chronobiologist | Blog Nacht-Licht | Berlin (DE)