At dusk, certain roads in Gladsaxe, a small Danish town, now take on the air of a quiet science fiction setting. No garish neon lights or festive atmosphere: simply street lamps with dark red light, installed where the city still touches nature. The change is subtle, almost discreet. But behind this unusual color lies a much broader reflection on the place of life in urban space.
A light that disturbs less at night
The experimental site is located along a tree-lined road used by several species of bats for feeding and movement. Seven have been identified in the area. If none are officially threatened, some, like the common pipistrelle or the brown bat, do not tolerate conventional artificial lighting well.
The reason is technical, but its effects are very real. White lights, rich in short wavelengths, disrupt nocturnal behavior: they modify routes, confuse hunting phases and can, ultimately, weaken populations. Red light interferes much less with the echolocation and feeding habits of bats.
« It was the best compromise where you couldn’t just turn off the street lights », Explains the municipality. The idea is therefore not to sacrifice safety on the altar of ecology, but to finely adjust the lighting. High-traffic areas maintain a classic warm white, while red is reserved for areas sensitive to wildlife.
The project is part of the European program “Lighting Metropolis – Green Mobility”, carried out with several Danish and Swedish cities, and designed with the design firm Light Bureau.
Light pollution is an environmental disturbance in its own right. Birds, insects, amphibians, nocturnal mammals… many species see their natural cycles disrupted by nights that are too bright. Gladsaxe has integrated this reflection, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The municipality even claims the status of the first “SDG municipality” in Denmark. Public lighting is no longer just technical equipment, but one tool among others to reconcile town planning, climate and biodiversity.
The icing on the lamppost: the switch to red LEDs also has very down-to-earth advantages. Less energy intensive, more durable, compatible with intelligent dimming systems, they reduce costs and maintenance. Around 5,000 light points need to be replaced in Gladsaxe, while the European program “Lighting Metropolis – Green Mobility”, carried out with several Danish and Swedish municipalities, plans more than 50,000 updates in partner cities.
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