The City’s Red Traffic Lights Help Cure a Problem Many Urban Centers Have

City planning often prioritizes the needs of the people who live where they live over the flora and fauna, but some cities are trying to break this trend. While various big, futuristic concepts are shaping today’s smart cities around the world, sometimes small, simple changes can make a difference too. The Danish city of Odense recently installed street lights that glow red-orange at night instead of white, with the aim of reducing the impact on local wildlife. According to DR, the lights are installed on the bicycle and pedestrian path near the river Lindved Å, and they extend for a distance of 1.3 km, or about 0.8 km.

Red light creates less light pollution, which helps local wildlife maintain normal day-night cycles. This path along the river is reported to be home to a variety of birds and insects, including butterflies, butterflies and frogs, all of which can be illuminated by ordinary white lights. Odense’s installation is one of several projects around Denmark that aim to replace old lights with wildlife-friendly alternatives, while Næstved and the municipality of Nordjurs are also planning similar projects.

Residents living near the newly lighted road in Odense were not very positive about the changes, with one calling the lighting “scary.” However, many others have welcomed the change, with one resident telling DR that they like to see wildlife while cycling home.

The latest projects were commissioned after a successful trial of lighting in the Danish municipality of Gladsaxe in 2022. This first lighting project was designed by the Light Bureau, and saw bright red lights installed on the side of the road to reduce the disturbance caused by bats living nearby. Although these recent projects have all been carried out in Denmark, it is likely that other major cities around the world will benefit from similar initiatives.

According to Guinness World Records, Saint Petersburg in Russia takes the unfortunate title of having the least pollution of any city in the world. However, two North American cities, Calgary and Edmonton in Canada, are also in the top ten. As well as having a negative impact on wildlife, studies have shown that excessive light pollution can have a negative impact on human health. It can disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which is associated with a variety of diseases and disorders including heart disease, depression, and even certain types of cancer.

Rather than using public money to install hidden cameras on streetlights for surveillance, authorities can try to reduce light pollution in cities to reduce the harmful effects on people and the flora and fauna around us. Although the Danish authorities plan to introduce low-impact red street lights in the future, cities in other parts of the world are yet to reap the benefits.

Instead, some have been busy installing purple lights, which can be more dangerous than white lights by making it harder for drivers to see hazards on the road.