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Avoiding shaded areas and using warm lighting are some of the recommendations for improving environments that were discussed in the webinar “New Lighting Standards and Urban Safety.” At the event, Fundación Cielos de Chile and The International CPTED Association-ICA presented strategies for optimizing lighting in cities and thereby improving the perception of public safety.

At a time when insecurity is increasingly worrying citizens, the proper use of lighting in public spaces is becoming essential. Not only does it help people feel safer, but it also allows for better use of municipal resources and effective compliance with the new lighting standard in force in Chile.

This topic and the strategies for achieving it were addressed in the webinar “New Lighting Regulations and Urban Safety,” held on August 14 with the participation of Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile, and Macarena Rau, president of The International CPTED Association–ICA.

In her presentation, Daniela González highlighted the significance of Chile being the first country in the world to have a nationwide lighting regulation, which came into force in October 2024 and establishes improvements for outdoor lighting such as streets, squares, industries, and stadiums. “Its implementation seeks to prevent light pollution and incorporate the care of biodiversity and human health,” she said.

For her part, architect Macarena Rau addressed important interventions in lighting spaces to make them safer, based on the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) methodology.

Lighting strategies for safer urban spaces

Both speakers provided concrete examples of how the implementation of the Lighting Standard and the CPTED methodology can help improve the perception of safety in cities.

Daniela González emphasized that “complying with the Lighting Standard does not mean lighting cities less, but lighting them better and more efficiently.” To this end, she highlighted the following points:

More height does not mean more brightness

High-rise luminaires with very intense lights are not efficient, as they generate a loss of light towards the surface to be illuminated and create more glare for people.

Credit: Ikshit Chaudhari on Unsplash

Avoid shadow areas

Homogeneously lit spaces avoid areas with contrasts where shadows are generated that could lead to unsafe situations.

Credit: Victor Zh on Unsplash

Warm light instead of cold light

Although there is a perception that white light illuminates more, the truth is that it is often a source of over-illumination and glare. On the other hand, with good lighting design, warm light not only illuminates adequately, but also contributes to respecting natural cycles and people’s health.

Credit: Honney Artkongharn on Unsplash

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Macarena Rau highlighted examples of the implementation of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles, which have proven successful in urban lighting:

Natural surveillance

Lighting in urban spaces must allow people to see and be seen, for which it is essential to use appropriate lighting.

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Elements of urban design

When designing safe spaces, in addition to lighting, elements such as street furniture and plant species must be considered and how they interact so that they do not interfere with lighting and contribute to natural surveillance.

Credit: sq lim on Unsplash

Community participation

For efficient use of municipal resources, it is key to encourage community participation in defining public lighting plans. This helps to focus resources on the spaces that need them most and improve the perception of safety.

Credit: M ACCELERATOR on Unsplash

Both professionals concluded by emphasizing the importance of continuously evaluating the effects of changes in urban lighting to determine whether they actually improve the perception of safety and adjust them when necessary.

Watch the full webinar here: