by Laurie Alisat, BRCA Beautification Committee
Whether you are travelling around Bridgeland-Riverside or planning lighting inside or outside of your own home or business, lighting impacts you. It is helpful to have appropriate lighting to illuminate a pathway or roadway for personal and public safety. For businesses, lighting can help attract the attention of potential customers. It may also provide security for the business premises.
At other times, lighting can be a nuisance, shining into your home directly from another property or by the over-flooding from a light source into your home or into the sky, obstructing your view of the night sky. This can be annoying and frustrating, depending on the level and intensity of the lighting. A neighbourly chat or a call to 3-1-1 might be necessary to resolve this.
Bylaw enforcement aside, how do we, as citizens and as a community, find balance between safety, comfort, and viewing? This is a complex question. Communities around the world are grappling with it by bringing community members together to find solutions that are agreeable for the community and the environment. They are looking at identifying and using the right kind of lighting, at the right time, at the right intensity.
With that in mind, communities are considering:
• A style of lighting that shines down, illuminating the space that needs to be lit up, without overspill, thus helping to preserve the night sky.
• When lights need to be on, to serve their desired function, and using research to help inform the times that are helpful in promoting safety and deterring crime.
• What intensity of light is needed for safety, using research to determine how much is too little or too much to enhance visibility.
• What guidelines or policies might need to be developed and put in place for their community. See “Dark Sky Communities” for more information on this.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, with regards to lighting. There is much to be learned about how lighting impacts our health and wellness, as well as that of the plants and creatures in our environment. This is a conversation Bridgeland-Riverside might want to engage in as a community.
Click here to the Bridgeland/Riverside Community News home page for the latest Bridgeland/Riverside community updates.
