Knowledge Base

Lighting & Crime

Good streetlighting can influence the safetly of the public and properties

Does improved street lighting help to reduce crime, and the fear of crime? At Urbis we firmly believe that it does.

Fear of crime is still thought by many to be one of the major factors facing people using urban spaces. This fear is exaggerated at night, and is often linked to people’s ability to recognise faces before somebody enters their 'personal space'.

Better street lighting has a positive effect on the prevention of crime, deterring criminals by making it easier to identify and apprehend offenders, and by giving the general public a sense of safety.

The use of white light is also important in this debate. White light sources are proven to be twice as good at letting us see someone else’s face then a sodium pressure lamp. And, considering that the UK has the most CCTV cameras per person then any country in the world, it makes more sense to use white light to help with visual recognition.

A number of recent research projects and local authority trials using white light have shown that installing a new lighting scheme using white light has a positive effect on crime prevention and reducing the fear of crime.

It is the job of everyone involved in street and amenity lighting schemes, from designers and lighting engineers through to manufacturers, to provide an environment that everyone feels safe in.

Recommended Reading:

ESRC research sheds light on new crime figures - latest report 2005.

Lighting Journal (published by the ILE)

  • Jan/Feb 2000 The Social Benefits of Street Lighting (Tameside)

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