IN-PERSON London. Section A
Abstract
In the realm of urban development, the emergence of smart cities represents a paradigm shift towards highly adaptive and responsive environments. By integrating advanced sensing and automation technologies into infrastructures such as traffic lights, thermostats, and waste management systems, smart cities offer the promise of revolutionising transportation, lighting, and public spaces. This human-centric approach to urban planning diverges from traditional technocentric perspectives, prioritising inclusivity and responsiveness to citizen needs. Looking ahead to 2039, projections indicate a growing population dealing with challenges in navigating urban environments, particularly after dark. Among these demographics are individuals facing age-related visual impairments and those with neurodiversity, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive design strategies that foster social connectivity and activity outside of residential spaces. This study aims to explore the impact of existing street lighting on the nighttime navigation experiences of older individuals and those with neurodiversity, compared with the experiences of young neurotypical individuals. Leveraging innovative technologies such as wearable brain imaging and eye-tracking, the research endeavours to identify lighting conditions conducive to diverse visual needs. By objectively measuring brain activity and eye movement patterns, the study seeks to uncover the cognitive workload associated with nighttime navigation in various lighting environments. The implications of this research extend far beyond individual experiences, offering insights crucial for urban design practices aimed at fostering inclusivity and accessibility for all citizens. By shedding light on the deficiencies of current street lighting standards in accommodating diverse visual needs, this study contributes to ongoing dialogues within the Livable Cities framework.
Navaz Davoodian is a senior lighting researcher with 20 years of experience in the field at UCL & University of Sheffield. Her primary focus lies in urban & street lighting studies, encompassing various aspects such as pedestrian lighting, street lighting glare, inclusive lighting, & people’s interaction with built environment. Navaz is the editor & author of the award-nominated book, Urban Lighting for People: Evidence-Based Lighting Design for the Built Environment. It exemplifies her multidisciplinary approach, integrating behavior studies & psychophysical methods along technical lighting techniques.
Professor Antonia Hamilton is the leader of the Social Neuroscience group at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (UCL) . She completed a PhD on the impact of neuronal noise for the optimal control of human arm movements (UCL, 2002) and has since worked on imitation and brain systems for social interaction. She was awarded the Experimental Psychology Society prize lectureship for 2013. Her current research interests include how and why people imitate each other, how social skills differ in autism, and the neural mechanisms of social interaction. ;
Nick Tyler is the Director of the UCL Centre for Transport Studies and Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering, and investigates the ways in which people interact with their immediate environments. He set up the Accessibility Research Group within the Centre for Transport Studies, with a team of researchers investigating many aspects of accessibility and public transport. Nick holds a PhD from University College London, where his thesis was on a methodology for the design of high capacity bus systems using artificial intelligence.
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Wednesday 26th June, 2024