LED security lights effects on trees and green city landscape:
Human and wildlife circadian rhythms, mental well-being, road safety and the view of our night sky

A paper written by David Garlovsky (BSc, MSc, Certificate in Social Phenomenology)
was presented at the International SEEDS Conference 2017: Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society Healthy Environments, Buildings and Spaces, Leeds Beckett University, UK

The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the potential impact on urban and rural areas of blue-rich LEDs to ensure that city designers and arborists make informed decisions about the choice of street and road lighting. There is a growing trend for urban areas in the UK, USA and elsewhere to change over-roadway and residential lighting from high-pressure sodium [HPS] to blue-rich LEDs, often simply on the basis of saving energy, yet without health- or environmental-impact assessments. Energy-saving measures need to be linked to health and ecology considerations.

The views presented in this paper are from a historical perspective based on research conducted in 1974 by the author and the Chicago Audubon Society in the City of Chicago and from a recent literature review of research. The research showed that blue-rich LEDs’ effect human health and well-being, wildlife circadian rhythms, road safety and the view of our night sky. It is crucial for local communities be involved in deciding how streetscapes, including trees and lighting, are planned, managed and maintained.

Let There Be Darkness 2017

Download Paper

How street lighting has an impact on building landscape design and how and where gardeners and farmers can plant.

Download Paper