What if more light doesn’t mean more safety? In this episode of Restoring Darkness, hosts Michael Colligan and Mark Baker sit down with Dr. Jim Uttley, lecturer in architectural science at the University of Sheffield and environmental psychologist, to uncover the surprising truth about street lighting, darkness, and human behavior. 🌌 Topics explored:
How lighting shapes our perception of safety vs. actual crime risk
Why darkness deters walking and cycling—and how minimal lighting can help
The debate over color temperature: warmer lights, wildlife, and circadian health
Evidence that too much light can backfire, creating glare and even increasing risks
The flawed science behind lighting standards and why cities often get it wrong
This is a deep dive into how light at night affects crime, travel, and our environment—and why rethinking “brighter is better” could change the way we design our streets. 🔗 Links to Dr. Uttley’s research: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324134 Variance in odds ratios for estimating the deterrent effect of darkness on cycling: Variation due to the choice of case and control hours Variance in odds ratios for estimating the deterrent effect of darkness on cycling: Variation due to the choice of case and control hours https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311964   Connect with Dr. Uttley: Https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-uttley-9542b194/ Https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/architecture/people/academic/jim-uttley Http://lightingresearch.group.shef.ac.uk/index.html 

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