Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: How does your community handle outdoor lighting?

[Alan O'Hashi (adoecos]

Dawn - The first thing, there are no rigorous data that indicate more "public" 
lighting equals less crime. Not that any of this is applicable, but in the 
People's Republic of Boulder, Colorado I happened to be on the city Planning 
Board at the time the city placed a huge shroud on the lights of Boulder.

Where I live, there is minimal street lighting and it's very dark. Dog walkers 
and pedestrians use flashlights. Lights must have sconces that reduce the 
amount of light that escapes upward/outward and focuses the light downward. 
Even on our private community property, the sidewalk lights focus the light 
downward. We have lighting on the outdoor stairways that are positioned under 
the bannisters.

There are engineering companies that specialize in lighting. I suggest that 
during your due diligence process you contact one to ask them about the best 
type of lighting for your particular community. In a rural area, I would think 
that light pollution would be particularly noticeable. People live in sparsely 
populated areas, in part, because of the dark skies.

Thx,
Alan O. 

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Alan O'Hashi - ECOS
EnviroCultural Organization Systems
 http://www.alanohashi.com/ecos
Colorado 303-910-5782
Wyoming 307-274-1910
Nebraska 402-327-1652
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