VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities
Abstract
Urban Lighting Infrastructure (ULI) has been a key element in inhabiting cities at nighttime over the past 150 years, not only supporting mobility and visibility but also shaping the perception of safety and the use of public space. However, the premise “more lighting, more safety” that guides ULI implementation has led to environmental and economic problems due to the increase of energy use, causing the implementation of lighting restriction policies. While effective in reducing energy costs, they have also been linked to a rise in perceived unsafety in certain populations. In terms of safety and the nighttime, women consistently reported greater fear or discomfort compared to men, particularly when walking alone after dark. Although in the last ten years the studies exploring lighting effect on reassurance when walking after dark has increased, woman remain to be more explored. This paper examines the intersections of urban lighting, gender, and public space through an experimental methodology combining night walks, mapping, questionnaires, and lighting sensors. The study was performed during a workshop at Forecast Festival 2025 in Berlin, involving eight participants in a one-night participatory mapping session. Participants visited six urban typologies -selected for their potential risk concerns- and documented their safety perception -both traffic and personal- in relation to: i) street lighting (permanent infrastructure), ii) people (variable infrastructure), and iii) other environmental and personal factors. Although lighting and safety perceptions varied among participants and across urban typologies, a common outcome emerged during the collective discussion: the methodology enabled participants to re-evaluate their neighborhood at nighttime, which contributed to a greater sense of safety.
Elena Agudo-Sierra is an architect with a master’s degree from ETSAM–Polytechnic University of Madrid, awarded with high distinction. Her work has received international recognition from COAM, RABASF, the Venice Biennale, and LINA–Forecast. She has taught and served as guest jury at CEPT University, European University, and EPFL. With experience in academia and practice, she has led sustainable urban projects like the CONAMA-awarded “PCI Eco-industrial park”. She is currently a PhD candidate at UCLouvain, researching urban lighting, mobility, and safety from a gender perspective.
Víctor Cano-Ciborro holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He is currently a faculty member at the European University of the Canary Islands. He has been a Marie Curie Fellow at Brown University and a postdoctoral fellow at The New School, as well as a pre-doctoral visiting fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India. His research explores narrative counter-cartographies that reveal the hidden spatial dimensions of contested territories through the subaltern bodies that inhabit and shape them. He is the co-author of Rebel Bodies, Rebel Cities (CEPT Press, 2022).
Sergio Altomonte is a distinguished academic and full professor in architectural physics at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) in Belgium. He serves as the President of the Louvain Research Institute for Landscape, Architecture, Built Environment (LAB) . Holding degrees from the University of Rome La Sapienza and EPFL, he earned his PhD in Environmental Design and Engineering. Altomonte has held academic positions in Italy, Australia, the UK, and visiting roles in Denmark and the USA. His research focuses on indoor environmental quality, building systems, and human well-being. He is a member of organizations like PLEA and the CIBSE Society of Light and Lighting.
Maider Llaguno-Munitxa is an architect and associate professor at UCLouvain’s Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning (LOCI), where she leads the Urban Science, Climate, and Health team within the Architecture et Climat group. Her research integrates data science and digital design to enhance urban environmental quality and public health. She earned her PhD from ETH Zurich, focusing on microclimates and air quality. She previously held academic positions at Princeton and Northeastern universities. Llaguno-Munitxa is also a partner at AZPML. Her work has received awards including the SOM Foundation European Research Prize and Columbia University’s GSAPP Incubator Prize.
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Thursday 17th July, 2025