Episode 9: Garbage in, Garbage Stays with Dr. Jim Uttley

Restoring Darkness

What if more light doesn’t mean more safety?

In this episode of Restoring Darkness, hosts Michael Colligan and Mark Baker sit down with Dr. Jim Uttley, lecturer in architectural science at the University of Sheffield and environmental psychologist, to uncover the surprising truth about street lighting, darkness, and human behavior.

🌌 Topics explored:

• How lighting shapes our perception of safety vs. actual crime risk
• Why darkness deters walking and cycling—and how minimal lighting can help
• The debate over color temperature: warmer lights, wildlife, and circadian health
• Evidence that too much light can backfire, creating glare and even increasing risks
• The flawed science behind lighting standards and why cities often get it wrong

This is a deep dive into how light at night affects crime, travel, and our environment—and why rethinking “brighter is better” could change the way we design our streets.

🔗 Links to Dr. Uttley’s research:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324134

Variance in odds ratios for estimating the deterrent effect of darkness on cycling: Variation due to the choice of case and control hours

Variance in odds ratios for estimating the deterrent effect of darkness on cycling: Variation due to the choice of case and control hours https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311964

Connect with Dr. Uttley:

Https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-uttley-9542b194/

Https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/architecture/people/academic/jim-uttley

Http://lightingresearch.group.shef.ac.uk/index.html