Outdoor Lighting Design Can Advance 16 SDG Targets

Why It Matters

Designers and engineers must consider the broader societal and environmental impacts of their lighting solutions. By aligning lighting strategies with specific SDG targets, projects can achieve greater positive impact and demonstrate a commitment to global sustainability efforts.

Key Finding

Outdoor lighting is not just about illumination; it's a critical design element that can actively contribute to achieving global sustainability objectives, impacting human health, urban environments, and ecosystems.

Key Findings

• Outdoor lighting has direct links to 16 specific targets across six Sustainable Development Goals.
• Key SDGs impacted include Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15).
• Efficient lighting also supports Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
• The review considered human-centric, energy efficiency, and environmental impacts of artificial lighting.

Research Evidence

Aim: To what extent can outdoor lighting design be leveraged to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals?

Method: Literature Review

Procedure: A comprehensive review of 227 documents was conducted to identify the connections between outdoor lighting and various Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on human-centric, energy efficiency, and environmental impacts.

Sample Size: 227 documents

Context: Urban planning and smart city development

Design Principle

Design for holistic impact: Consider how a design solution can positively influence multiple interconnected systems and objectives.

How to Apply

When developing lighting plans for urban areas, public spaces, or infrastructure projects, explicitly map the proposed lighting strategies against relevant SDG targets and document the expected contributions.

Limitations

The review is based on existing literature and may not capture all emerging trends or localized impacts. The direct causality between specific lighting designs and SDG achievement requires further empirical investigation.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Designing outdoor lights can help achieve global goals for a better planet, like improving health, making cities sustainable, and protecting nature.

Why This Matters: Understanding how your design choices connect to global sustainability goals like the SDGs can make your design projects more impactful and relevant.

Critical Thinking: Beyond energy efficiency, what are the most significant ethical considerations when designing artificial outdoor lighting, especially concerning its impact on nocturnal ecosystems and human well-being?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This design project aims to address key aspects of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by optimizing outdoor lighting. Research indicates that outdoor lighting design can directly impact 16 SDG targets, including those related to human health, urban sustainability, and environmental protection. By focusing on energy-efficient and human-centric lighting solutions, this project seeks to contribute positively to these global objectives, demonstrating a commitment to responsible and impactful design practice.

Project Tips

• When researching outdoor lighting, look for studies that discuss its effects on people, energy use, and the environment.
• Consider how your design choices might impact wildlife or energy consumption.

How to Use in IA

• Use this research to justify the selection of specific lighting technologies or design approaches in your project, linking them to SDG targets.
• Incorporate findings about human-centric lighting and environmental impacts into your design rationale.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an awareness of the broader societal and environmental implications of design choices, particularly in relation to global sustainability frameworks.
• Clearly articulate how design decisions contribute to specific, measurable outcomes.

Independent Variable: Outdoor lighting design parameters (e.g., intensity, spectrum, directionality, timing)

Dependent Variable: Contribution to specific SDG targets (e.g., reduced energy consumption, improved safety, minimized light pollution, enhanced biodiversity)

Controlled Variables: Urban context, existing infrastructure, local environmental conditions, user demographics

Strengths

• Provides a broad overview of the interconnections between outdoor lighting and SDGs.
• Identifies specific SDG targets that can be influenced by lighting design.

Critical Questions

• How can the positive impacts of outdoor lighting on SDGs be quantified and validated through empirical design projects?
• What are the trade-offs between different lighting design choices in achieving multiple SDGs simultaneously?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended research project could investigate the specific spectral properties of LED lighting and their differential impact on nocturnal insect populations and human circadian rhythms, linking findings to SDG 14 and SDG 3.
• Another avenue could be to develop and test a smart lighting control system for a public space, measuring its impact on energy savings (SDG 7) and perceived safety and comfort (SDG 11).

Source

Reviewing the Role of Outdoor Lighting in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals · Sustainability · 2021 · 10.3390/su132212657