Light formed through urban morphology and different organism groups: First findings from a systematic review.

Abstract

The prevailing implementation and usage of contemporary lighting technologies and design practices in cities have created over-illuminated built environments. Recent studies indicate that exposure to electric lighting effects formed through spatial characteristics has visual, physiological, and behavioural effects on both humans and non-humans, such as wildlife. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact that electric lighting has on space and different organism groups, a comprehensive literature review was conducted applying PRISMA 2020 systematic review guidelines. Results of the searches from various databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus, identified 5260 related studies. A total of 55 papers connected to four themes: (1) urban morphology; (2) human visual impressions; (3) ecological impacts; and (4) design approaches and methods were analysed with a focus on urban morphology. The review provided the following general findings: lighting properties alone are inadequate to depict visual impressions of pedestrians, patterns formed through light interacting with spatial characteristics can contribute to understanding how spaces are visually perceived and help characterising the exposure of wildlife organisms to potential disturbances.