Thoughtful lighting design in outdoor gathering spaces can help us conquer one of the most basic human fears. Three project scenarios demonstrate different techniques.
Lighting designers often work to dispel deeply ingrained human biological instincts. Consider the fear of darkness that has been instilled in our species for millions of years of evolutionary history, signaling to us that darkness is dangerous. When we venture out into the night, our brains tell us to expect predators, raising our levels of adrenalin and heightening our other senses. Combine this with the persistent social and cultural narratives around the dangers of being out after dark, and you have a powerful force keeping people indoors.
In that same vein, if asked to imagine an ideal outdoor space, most of us would likely describe a sunny day in a park or strolling through a lively farmer’s market. We likely wouldn’t envision these same spaces as safe or inviting once the sun goes down. For the lighting designer, understanding this interaction between psychology and biology can help us create comfortable nighttime environments. For instance, the process by which our eyes adjust from dark to light only takes a few seconds. But it can take up to 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust from bright light to dim light. Anyone who has been in a restaurant when the lights suddenly dimmed, or on an evening walk when a car’s high beams have come from around the corner, knows howvdisruptive this process can be to our safety and enjoyment. Our psychological responses to an environment contribute to the feeling of visual reassurance. Providing the ability to see others’ faces and navigate upcoming pathways are among the ways lighting can make users feel comfortable.
When we consider human biology and psychology, and reconsider our typical ideas about after-dark experiences, a whole world of community and economic opportunity is revealed. These three examples across the spectrum of park and plaza design teach us about lighting that takes step beyond utilitarian, extending the opportunity for positive community experiences after the sun goes down.
- Minimalism by Design: Less is More in National Parks
Understanding the science behind how we experience low-light environments informs the design of remote National Parks projects. When the goal is for people to enjoy a true wilderness experience (though perhaps with the addition of an outhouse), lighting must allow for simple navigation while staying as unobtrusive as possible.
The National Parks Service has an entire Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division dedicated to preserving dark skies as both a natural and cultural resource. Dark skies are imperative for many species of wildlife to have safe movement throughout the parks and uninterrupted migration routes. Visible constellations, planets and galaxies connect visitors to thousands of years of mythology, stories that carry wisdom of many generations. Programs in nearly every national park have been created to share the history and science of the night sky with visitors, becoming a large economic driver in some of the most remote parks.
National Parks projects require adherence to strict practices that protect the wildlife and surrounding environment while allowing for safe use by park visitors. LEDs in warm colors (3000K or below) are often the first choice, with some types of wildlife like sea turtles and bats needing extremely specific color temperatures and spectral distributions to not be disturbed. The LEDs that best achieve this color range may not always be the most efficient on the market, so tools like motion detectors, timers and dimmers are utilized to ensure they are lit only when necessary. Smartcontrols also minimize overall power usage, which is valuable as many of these facilities are completely off-grid and running on local solar panels. Full cut-off housings that direct light downward and recessed fixtures are chosen both for resiliency to weather and to avoid light pollution from uplighting. Housings that minimize direct views of the source, whether through accessories or placement below the eyeline, support our evolutionary understanding that light should not come from above the horizon after sunset.
Finally, when designing in any remote, natural or very dark area, often the first question a lighting designer can ask is, “Do we even need lighting at all?” Many camping areas can be designed with reflective surfaces that allow safe wayfinding for visitors wearing headlamps and don’t require active lighting. When visitors are seeking out solitude, distance or quiet, our job is sometimes to deliver as few lumens as possible.
Takeaways: Warm LEDs, controls such as motion detectors and full cut-off luminaires can be effective solutions in remote natural environments
- Lessons from Abroad: European Plazas in New Mexico
If we study the great cities of Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, we find a myriad of inspiration for how lighting designers might be able to drive community engagement by leveraging economic opportunities and smart design choices to create welcoming, hospitable nighttime experiences. The right lighting can activate spaces that would otherwise go dormant, pulling people out into communal areas.
In the U.S., most urban planning posits that outdoor public spaces close at sundown. But with the increasing desire to spend time outdoors post-COVID and increasing daytime temperatures due to climate change, many cities are realizing their parks and plazas need to adapt to nighttime use. Some have gone as far as appointing a “night mayor,” a city representative interfacing with nightlife businesses like restaurants, bars and clubs, and considering the needs of third-shift workers. In New York City’s Central Park, which often sets the standard for other cities, the operating hours have been pushed later and later. Today, city dwellers can comfortably use the park into the early hours of the morning for exercise and recreation.
People residing in other countries have long been happily sitting outside late into the night. Differences in working hours, mealtimes and drinking culture around the world, and the fact that older cities are much less dependent on car-focused infrastructure, mean the idea of the public plaza is one of comfort, community and entertainment— even once the sun goes down.
Park Square Plaza and the Sawmill District by Heritage Hotels and Resorts Inc. are located in Albuquerque, NM, but inspired by walkable European neighborhoods that transition seamlessly from the workday to the evening. Across the Sawmill District, developed with MOULE & POLYZOIDES and Office Untitled, most of the illumination comes from building façades, restaurants and bars spilling out onto the plaza, offering a warm and welcoming perimeter. This layered approach prioritizes intentional lighting in tenant spaces that draws passersby into businesses. Tenants are provided with guidelines to encourage a cohesive feeling throughout, rathe than a hodgepodge of different styles. Thoughtfully designed façade lighting evokes a feeling of hospitality that encourages people to sit for a while and enjoy the bustle of the evening.
FBT Architects’ Park Square Plaza defines gateway entrances, creating a walkable environment away from the street that feels inviting, where people want to linger from day to night. Both projects eschew the traditional grid of streetlights throughout a square, instead concealing light sources and subtly lighting façades and landscape to create an inviting atmosphere at the human scale. Extending the usable hours of the plaza beyond five o’clock, lighting becomes a powerful tool for placemaking and economic growth.
Those biological principles are in play here as well. By defining an intimate space away from traffic and headlights, visitors’ eyes have time to adjust to lower levels. Layering lighting low on the horizon to elegantly model the people, buildings and landscapes creates a visual cue that this is a place to be at night, so the only surprises are a new flavor of gelato or piece of public art.
Takeaways: Leverage the illumination emanating from inside restaurants and bars to light the perimeter, layer in low-level lighting within the landscape at the human scale, and bypass the typical grid of streetlights and wall packs inside the plaza.
- Scale and Dignity: A Community Center for All
When a space has many uses, and is managed by a municipality, compromises and creative solutions are needed to find the right balance. In Northglenn, CO, Northglenn Recreation Center by Barker Rinker Seacat is part of a larger civic campus plan in collaboration with MIG. Inside, the facility encompasses fitness, aquatics and performing arts spaces. Outside, a festival lawn and veterans memorial are sited on a new boulevard, which each transition from day to night use. The lawn requires flexibility and versatility for concerts, summer camps, food service and community gatherings. The memorial demands reverence and contemplation. And the newly designed boulevard sets the tone for the “downtown” feeling the city is seeking. The lighting design for each of these areas keeps two concepts at the forefront: scale and dignity.
Lighting design at the appropriate scale keeps each varied use of this community hub feeling safe and welcoming. On the festival lawn, pedestrian light poles at the scale of the trees allow for large-scale gatherings where the safety and visibility of children and families is paramount. The veterans memorial is lit on a human scale—landscape lighting and bench lighting invite visitors to sit and create a smaller, more intimate area within the garden. The boulevard itself connects the other facilities of the civic center, requiring functional lighting for pedestrians, bicycles and cars. Continuity of fixture design, color and focus connects these disparate uses throughout the neighborhood.
Dignity in lighting design is an important concept for any community space, encompassing ideas of psychological safety and equitable design. A dignified space is one where all people feel welcome and encouraged to interact with the space as intended. For example, a bike trail tunnel connecting the recreation center site with the rest of the city was a point of concern for residents, as the lighting felt sparse and unwelcoming to cyclists after dark. New, consistent lighting in the same design language as the civic center campus renewed that important connection and encouraged cyclists to enter safely. In the memorial garden, the sculpture itself is uplit, a traditional and recognizable technique showing respect to the form of the installation.
When spaces are illuminated with dignity, rather than oppressive flood-lit or security-focused lighting, the intended use is reinforced subconsciously.
Takeaways: “Scale” and “dignity” create a feeling of safety and comfort, while fixture style unifies different areas of the space
As communities and developers think about the design of new public spaces, the need to con sider after-dark programming is paramount. Lighting designers play a crucial role in understanding the biological, psychological and social influences that make a day-to-night project a success. When done thoughtfully, extending the usage hours of an area can have a huge impact, economically and culturally. As cities are prioritizing equitable design practices, they’ll have to consider how to make everyone feel welcome, any time of day.