Abstract :
[en] Lighting is an essential aspect of our lives, but artificial light has received criticism for its negative impacts on the environment, wildlife, and health of people. Adequate lighting is crucial for creating a safe environment (in terms of road safety, criminality and feeling of safety), especially when using soft modes of transport. Poor lighting, on the other hand, can make people feel unsafe and uncomfortable, potentially deterring them from using these modes. Our research offers four contributions. Firstly, it identifies the required characteristics of public lighting for safe and acceptable nocturnal mobility. Secondly, it analyses the attitudes and behaviours of the population towards public lighting, and the dark. Thirdly, it investigates how the night affects modal choices. Finally, it assesses citizens' willingness to accept reduced public lighting and how the energy crisis has impacted their judgement. To gain insights into the attitudes towards public lighting of the population in the Walloon region, we conducted two surveys. The target population was individuals aged 16 and above living in the Walloon region. The first survey was administered online from February 16th to March 29th, 2022, resulting in a total of 677 responses. The second survey was also administered online from 1st October to 15th November 2022, resulting in 807 responses. The collected dataset was analysed
using RStudio, and population weights were applied based on three demographic criteria (gender, age, and province) to ensure that the sample was representative of the Walloon population. The findings of this study highlight the importance of public lighting in nocturnal mobility and provide insights into the factors influencing citizens' modal choices and acceptable levels of lighting reductions. Citizens are willing to accept reductions in public lighting levels during the night, which could contribute to reducing light pollution and energy consumption. The study also reveals a positive correlation between the energy crisis and citizens' willingness to accept reductions in public lighting
levels, highlighting the importance of implementing energy-efficient public lighting systems.
Further research focuses on dark biodiversity corridors, and their compatibility with green corridors. We aim to work in accordance with SDGs 3, 11, 13, 14 and 15.
