the things that can sharply reduce foot-traffic is security concerns. Concerns for personal safety and "fear of crime" can be remedied by simply "making it brighter" . . . right? Well, not always. Crime such as purse-snatching and muggings occur in broad daylight, so "More Light" is not a cure-all. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) suggests that "when security is an issue" everything on the site must be examined from a security point of view. Lighting is only one of several Security Elements that need to be considered as part of a Security Plan. Security elements can be active or passive. For example, passive elements are doors, gates, locks and yes, lighting. Active elements are foot-patrols and manned CCTV cameras. (Unmonitored cameras are not a security element).
The security plan can have several intermediate goals, leading to the overall effect of a secure-feeling environment. For example: By trimming back overgrown foliage, hiding places are eliminated, thus making the site "less scary." Attending to other "visible" maintenance issues gives the impression that "someone cares" about the property. These things add together to alleviate the fear of crime, and remove some of the detriment to foot traffic.
The presence of people in an area actually make an area more secure. The more "witnesses" who are present makes people behave . An empty mall or walkway makes people more self-conscious of being a possible target. Benches, raised planter-boxes (for seating), and "Muzak" piped into the space encourages people to spend more time in the area. "People watchers" are great witnesses, and criminals know this.
Lighting can be a good or bad thing: Good lighting eliminates dark areas (hiding places), enhance storefront displays and the landscape. Good lighting means eliminating glare sources, resulting in a "scene" where the light source is not seen directly, but the effect of the light is seen. Good lighting is not entirely uniform, but is achieved not by merely increasing the wattage of the existing lighting. Display lighting techniques use increasing and decreasing amounts of light to direct the eye to feature displays. None of these light intensities can be glary.
Harsh, over-lighted gas stations (in an otherwise dark surrounding area) can create glare making it hard to see anything in the surrounding area. Criminals know that glare is their friend, just as the gunfighters in the old west wanted the sun in their opponent's eyes. Soft background light with increasing "key" lighting helps people see the product. Bright, glary light is obtrusive, and hurts our eyes, especially as we grow older.
Take a closer look at the area that customers walk through before they come into the door of your business. Are there dark areas? Can you actually "see" where the light comes from and is it glary? Take stock of maintenance in this area: Does the foliage block the light from hitting the ground? Does it provide hiding places? Are there burned-out bulbs, or vandalized fixtures in public view? Do the pedestrian and parking areas have the appearance that "someone cares" about the property?
Finally, if there is a history of violent crime on the property, professional security advice may be needed. IESNA has recently published a "Guideline for Security Lighting . . ." (publication G1-03). While it is written for the professional lighting and security consultant, the layman or property owner can glean much useful knowledge from it.
Doug C Paulin LC is a contributing writer who works for Lighting Forensics which is located in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin
