April 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 50

OPERATIONS
Considering All
Lighting Strategies
By Thomas Lovell Jr., MPA, CPRA
L
3. Will
ighting of park and recreation areas is a multi-dimensional challenge,
from patron safety to adjacent property lawsuits. Sustainability
is one of the many considerations.
The following is a snapshot of a process City of Lee's Summit
(Missouri) went through when developing lighting strategies for our
outdoor park areas. (A similar process was used for indoor lighting needs.)
1. What specific uses are being
addressed by using lighting?
Keeping sports venues open,
walking or running, cycling,
parking, camping, navigating
restrooms, lighting playgrounds
and shelters, and crime prevention
are examples of different uses
with varying needs.
2. What footcandles
and light
quality are needed to address
users' needs?
there be an impact
or
problems with spillage of the
footcandles and/or glare on
adjacent properties or other
park-usage areas?
4. What is the cost of installation,
maintenance and utility consumption?
5.
How many users and user hours
will be generated from this addition?
Will any revenues be generated
to offset the costs of installation,
maintenance, supervision
and utility consumption?
6. Is it environmentally insensitive
to native habitat needs? Does it
create light pollution and add to
energy depletion issues in your
area?
7. Due to the lighting and corresponding
increased use, will
there be a need for supervisory/
security staff and/or surveillance
equipment? If so, what will that
initial and ongoing cost be?
8. What is your liability assessment?
As
you consider these decisions,
you need to add one more option:
Don't light it!
While many of our areas get lighting,
not all areas need to be lighted.
Lighting of park and recreation areas is a
multi-dimensional challenge, from patron
safety to adjacent property lawsuits.
For instance, in the case of walking
trails, lighting will make areas more
inviting, but it also can cause trails to
become more dangerous by giving
users a false sense of security. Lighting
can create shadows for people
with bad intentions to be invisible to
park users.
Most park and recreation professionals,
park users and even the police
often assume that lighting always
will make areas safer. Police usually
will tell you lighting is beneficial.
For them and the user, it can be, but
only when it is designed carefully and
coupled with a police or other security
presence to provide protection.
Low-level lighting, like " security
lighting, " can attract groups wanting
to congregate and engage in illegal
behaviors, like drugs, illegal alcohol
use or worse, without fear of personal
recognition.
As you conduct your analysis, at
least consider the no-lighting option.
Foregoing lighting means no installation,
no extra maintenance requirements
or utility costs due to additional
use; no light pollution or spillage into
other areas; no energy consumption;
and potentially no surveillance needs
for protecting patrons. A good curfew
and personal protection signage that
includes safe places for the desired activity
could save lives and tax dollars.
Lastly, the savings from avoiding unnecessary
lighting costs could provide
the resources to develop and maintain
additional unlighted parks.
This article is a response to the article,
" Portland Parks & Recreation's
Sustainable Park Pathway Lighting
Efforts, " from the April 2021 issue of
Parks & Recreation magazine.
Thomas Lovell Jr., MPA, CPRA, is
Administrator Emeritus at Lee's Summit
(Missouri) Parks and Recreation.
50 Parks & Recreation | APRIL 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
April 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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