Public Lighting in Cape Town
Public lighting is often studied as a tool that can be used to reduce crime, or at least improve perceptions of safety. Yet, this overlooked public infrastructure may have a much broader impact on daily life, particularly in rapidly growing cities with large numbers of informal settlements that lack adequate access to public lighting and other services.
With a particular focus on informal settlements in Cape Town, URI explored the relationship between public lighting and crime, and investigated the many other possible functions public lighting can fulfil: What are the ways in which public lighting serves to define common or social spaces? How can public lighting improve the accessibility of space and infrastructure in informal settlements, especially shared infrastructure like communal water taps and toilets?