Street lighting

Street lighting illuminates roads and public spaces after dark, supporting visibility, movement, and public use. Systems range from individual lamps to centrally controlled networks.

Street light: A luminaire installed beside or above a street to illuminate its surface and surroundings. The individual fixture is the basic unit of a street-lighting system.
Road safety: The prevention of deaths and injuries involving road users. Street lighting can improve nighttime visibility, though its effects depend on location and design.
Oil lamp: A lamp that produces light by burning oil in a wick. Oil lamps were among the fuel-burning technologies used to illuminate streets before widespread electrification.
High-pressure sodium lamp: A high-intensity discharge lamp producing characteristic yellow-orange light from sodium vapor. It was widely used for streets before LEDs offered different efficiency and color-rendering trade-offs.
Circadian rhythm: An internal biological cycle of roughly 24 hours that regulates sleep and other functions. Exposure to artificial light at night can affect circadian timing in people and wildlife.
Photometry: The science of measuring visible light according to human visual response. Photometric measurements specify how much light reaches road surfaces and where it falls.
Pedestrian lighting: Lighting designed to help people see and be seen while walking in public spaces. Pedestrian-focused designs emphasize faces, paths, crossings, and perceived comfort.
Gas lighting: Illumination produced by burning manufactured or natural gas in lamps. Municipal gas networks made organized street lighting practical in nineteenth-century cities.
Metal-halide lamp: A high-intensity discharge lamp that uses metal halides to produce bright, relatively white light. It provides a whiter alternative to high-pressure sodium, but has different efficiency and maintenance characteristics.
Nocturnal animals: Animals whose activity is concentrated during nighttime hours. Artificial illumination can alter their movement, feeding, and interactions.

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