Manufacturing areas are lighting up the City

Manufacturing areas in the city of Birmingham, which represent only a small percentage of the city's land area, are contributing significantly to urban lighting, according to research carried out by University of Birmingham environmental scientists published in the journal PLOS ONE today (Monday 6th May 2013). The researchers carried out the study by analyzing urban lighting using the finest resolution photographs ever taken of an entire city at night. They converted the aerial photographs into maps of lamp locations and surface illuminance. They undertook the research to find out which land uses tended to be most heavily lit and which were responsible for the most lighting at the city scale. They found that roads and car parks within housing and manufacturing areas were responsible for the majority of bright lighting in the city. Bright outdoor lighting is often desirable, as it can bring a range of benefits such as safety and security, but there are financial implications in adopting this as a widespread policy. Moreover, studies have also shown that it can cause a nuisance and have an impact on wildlife and human health.