Night Walks
Sharing knowledge with stakeholders is crucial for helping them articulate the lighting qualities they want in their spaces. One effective approach is hosting a ”Night Lights Walk”, where stakeholders can observe existing lighting conditions in their neighborhood, then visit other sites to experience quality lighting. This hands-on experience fosters a deeper understanding of the impact of lighting, while also building a shared language and advocacy around the good lighting that all communities deserve.
The night walk serves to highlight the disparities in lighting design across public spaces, particularly in underserved, marginalized communities. By contrasting oppressive lighting with designs that support the community, stakeholders gain valuable insights into how they can advocate for improved lighting in their own neighborhoods.
Gathering professionals to walk together at night, discussing lighting design, can inspire greater ownership and advocacy within our communities. As designers, it is our responsibility to shape the nighttime environment in public spaces. Observing disadvantaged areas and understanding how their lighting design compared to more privileged neighborhoods helps engage and educate the community. This empowers stakeholders to take action and advocate for better lighting in their surroundings, strengthening their sense of ownership and their ability to make meaningful change.
ROXBURY NIGHT LIGHTS WALK
NEW HAVEN NIGHT WALK
SAN FRANCISCO NIGHT WALK
Roxbury Night Lights Walk
Nubian Square, Roxbury, MA, USA
Edward Bartholomew, Chrisoula Moraitis, Bartholomew Lighting, Boston NOMA, LIGHT Boston, Boston IES Section
September 2024
Edward and Chrisoula led a group of over 30 lighting designers, architects, city planners, students, and others as they gathered together to experience Nubian Square at night. The group met at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library to begin the discussion of what Light Justice is and why they were focusing on this area. The event was hosted in collaboration with BosNOMA, Light Boston, Boston IES, and BUILD, with Reflex Lighting sponsoring and supporting the event in person. After a brief presentation on Light Justice and the decision to focus on Nubian Square, Cyrus Dahmubed from Utile Architecture took the group on a tour of the library's interior. He explained the various factors that went into the lighting and architectural design of the space, how the team worked with and listened to community feedback in renovating the landmark. Touring the library served as a great starting point, showcasing an example of good lighting that creates a safe space for people to gather both inside and outside.
The group then left the library and found themselves on Dudley Street, where several examples of glare, overlighting, underlighting, and light trespass were evident. A specific example of poor lighting in the area was the lack of proper lighting and maintenance at the Nubian Bus Station, which sits between two closed businesses at night, covered with floodlights. The stark brightness of these neighboring building lights made the bus station difficult to see. Another example was the "Faces of Dudley" mural at the intersection of Dudley Street, Malcolm X Blvd, and Washington Street. This culturally significant landmark was left in the dark, with no lighting to highlight its importance.
The group continued their walk in a circle, passing by various locations including different entrances to the bus station, the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, and more, eventually arriving at the back of the library once again. The more comfortable and meaningful lighting from the Bolling Building and the Library highlighted the success of having good lighting in public spaces for both visual and physical comfort.
As they walked, the group discussed how almost everyone present had never walked through the area at night before. Many began to feel empowered as they noticed more examples of poor lighting with their own eyes.
IES New Haven Walk
New Haven, CT, USA
Mark Loeffler, Caitlin Toczko, Connecticut Green Building Council, Illuminating Engineering Society- Western New England chapter
October 2023
In early Fall 2023, Caitlin Toczko and Mark Loeffler, lighting design professionals and colleagues, led a group of 38 lighting and sustainability experts through downtown New Haven, CT, to explore the theme of “Urban Lighting Quality and Equity.” The event, which also featured Edward Bartholomew from Light Justice, marked the first joint meeting of the Connecticut Green Building Council and the Western New England chapter of the Illuminating Engineering Society.
Having worked on several design projects for the City of New Haven, Mark and Caitlin were familiar with the city's eclectic mix of lighting, including streetlights, storefront illumination, parking facilities, and green spaces. The one-mile walking loop allowed participants to observe both aesthetically pleasing and concerningly unjust lighting practices.
Before beginning the walk, the group was introduced to Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN) and the concept of Light Justice to provide context. The participants were encouraged to trust their own observations and reflect on whether they felt comfortable or uneasy with the quality of the lighting they encountered. They were also prompted to consider the social equity implications of the lighting, asking themselves if they would find it acceptable if they lived in the nearby apartment buildings.As they walked, the group observed a variety of lighting examples, including well-shielded streetlights retrofitted with warm-white LEDs, traditional and modern sidewalk luminaires, storefront lights spilling into the streets, and signage ranging from vintage neon to bright video displays. The participants were particularly vocal about glaring wallpacks above loading docks and harsh floodlights illuminating apartment facades. The more they focused on the lighting, the more they noticed glaring differences in quality and glaring inequities.
San Francisco Night Walk
San Francisco, CA, USA
Edward Bartholomew, Light! Design Expo
June 2024
Edward Bartholomew delivered the keynote address at the Light! Design Expo in San Francisco, offering a compelling thirty-year career retrospective. His presentation focused on his role as an advocate for equitable lighting—emphasizing the importance of achieving both high-quality illumination and beneficial darkness for all communities.
Following the well-attended keynote, Bartholomew led a night walk through the neighborhood surrounding the event venue. This guided tour explored lighting inequities in public spaces, drawing attention to how light design reflects systems of privilege and power. Participants observed firsthand how well-lit areas often align with affluence, while adjacent under-served communities remain dimly lit or neglected altogether. Once seen, this disparity is difficult to unsee.
The walk attracted a diverse group of lighting designers, architects, manufacturers’ reps, and other Expo attendees. It concluded with an engaging discussion about how thoughtful lighting can enhance the perception of safety and comfort, while poor lighting design can make public spaces feel uninviting—or even threatening.
Participants left the experience inspired to advocate for more just and inclusive lighting solutions, not only in their professional work but also within broader urban planning and design conversations.
