The Relationship between Public Lighting and Urban Sustainability in Bogotá’s Informal Settlements

Public lighting relates to urban sustainability in several ways, touching on ecologic, political, economic and cultural aspects. In light of the over 1 billion informal settlement dwellers worldwide, this chapter examines the implications their nocturnal living conditions have on SDG 11, focusing on lighting as a night-time enabler of safe access to public space. In a multi-method case study, informal settlement lighting was examined in Colombia’s capital Bogotá, revealing significant socio-spatial night-time inequality. In Bogotá, ‘formal’ lighting provided by the municipality fails to adapt to the informal context, while self-built ‘informal’ lighting installed by settlement dwellers does not comply with product safety, efficiency and light pollution standards. Moreover, the lighting conditions are poor regarding night-time safety and security. Despite these conditions, many informal dwellers rely on public transport during night time to commute to work, and their access to public space, and, hence, to public transport, is negatively affected by such lighting conditions. In this chapter, it will be shown that SDG 11’s participatory planning approach constitutes a promising foundation for an alternative lighting strategy based on technology co-creation, addressing the shortcomings of the current lighting conditions. Such a strategy would not only improve public night-time transport but also contribute to the goal of landslide risk alleviation.