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During the 19th century, American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson penned the expression “gas-light is found to be the best nocturnal police” in his essay Worship. With regard to public lighting in American cities today, the phrase can have a double meaning – security or surveillance.

Beyond simply making it safe for people to see at night, public lighting’s link to security carries deeper significance in neighborhoods, especially regarding race and class. The use of public lighting has been viewed as a socioeconomic indicator that separates wealthy areas from less affluent ones.

“Lights impact people and dictate the way they experience freedom and citizenship. These schemes can reflect, illuminate and reproduce inequalities in different communities,” said Angela Allen-Bell, a legal scholar and civil rights expert.

In upscale neighborhoods, streetlights illuminate street corners, typically enhancing the area’s aesthetic appeal and community prestige. Conversely, most lower-income neighborhoods are not as well lit, often signaling systemic disinvestment. After Hurricane Katrina swept through the majority-Black New Orleans East section of the city, thousands of broken streetlights were left in its wake. Streetlight outages in New Orleans were blamed on budgetary constraints and clashing priorities, and the contractor handling streetlights was only able to perform emergency repairs. ​​Research has shown how the lack of public lighting harms underserved areas, and highlights the benefits of increased lighting in those areas. To that end, a city program in New Orleans is tackling public lighting and seeks to address the problem head-on.

A new light system

On 13 January, New Orleans’ mayor, Helena Moreno, launched the Lights On initiative, a $2.8m project aimed at repairing broken and inadequate street lighting in underserved neighborhoods to help prevent crime, starting with New Orleans East. The new light system uses energy-efficient LED lights and solar sensors to replace aged illumination devices.

“The main goals are to improve public safety by increasing visibility in neighborhoods, reducing crime opportunities, fixing long-neglected infrastructure, restoring public trust in city services and creating a coordinated citywide lighting system,” Moreno said in a statement. “The city has hired its own electricians so repairs can happen faster and more efficiently.”

As of 10 March, more than 1,600 lights have been replaced or repaired in the city, with a goal of addressing about 3,000 work orders throughout New Orleans. One of the focus areas for this initiative is around the Willow Apartments in New Orleans East.

“I feel that the initiative is helping [New Orleans East] in a positive way, although there are some lights still out,” said Dawn Herbert, who lives near the apartment complex. She said she notices the elevated brightness around the area. “Overall, I do feel a bit safer, and I think [the initiative] brings a light that we’re not really used to in the community.”

Other residents said they don’t see a change. “I don’t think that the initiative made much of a difference,” said Claudia Celestine. While driving along the I-10 service road, she stopped at a service station to look at the light fixtures. “It was almost like the service station was more illuminated than the streetlights.”

However, one thing the New Orleans East community can agree on is the need for change.

Allen-Bell, the legal scholar, grew up in New Orleans East in the 1980s. She notes that when housing projects and affordable houses were destroyed across the city during Katrina, low-income residents needed a place to live. Many existing New Orleans residents knew that majority-white areas would never be considered as a relocation site for poor Black citizens. The East became their home. “And with that [divestment] came all the issues associated with poverty – violence, crime, trauma and other disparities,” Allen-Bell said.

Several reports have identified public lighting as a key strategy to reduce crime – without the use of advanced-tech surveillance that can invade the privacy and the community oversight of urban residents. “To truly lower the crime rate without eroding the community’s social life, lighting must be integrated into a strategy that enhances interaction among residents and fosters a caring attitude toward the shared environment,” said Dr Maria Barrera-Vilert, an assistant professor of criminology and justice at Loyola University of New Orleans.

Besides illuminating the streets of New Orleans East, residents hope the streetlight repair program will encourage proper neighborhood revitalization and social reform.