Project – The Relationship between Street Lighting and Residents’ Perception of Night-Time Safety: A Study of Selected Neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Urban safety is closely connected to the physical conditions of the built environment in which people live, work and move. Streets, roads, pedestrian paths, public spaces and neighbourhood facilities influence how residents perceive and experience their communities, particularly after dark. Night-time conditions may create concerns about crime, accidents, poor visibility and limited opportunities for informal surveillance. Consequently, environmental features that improve visibility have become important considerations in urban safety planning. Street lighting is one of the most visible forms of public infrastructure intended to illuminate roads and surrounding spaces, facilitate movement and improve the usability of neighbourhoods at night. Although street lighting is not, by itself, a guarantee against crime, research indicates that the quality and adequacy of lighting can influence how people perceive their environment and how comfortable they feel using public spaces after dark (Welsh & Farrington, 2008; Trop et al., 2023).

Street lighting can contribute to night-time safety by improving visibility within public spaces and making it easier for residents to identify people, objects, vehicles and potential hazards. Adequate lighting may also make streets more attractive for legitimate activities and increase opportunities for residents to observe activities occurring around them. Welsh and Farrington (2008), in their systematic review of improved street lighting and crime, identified two major explanations for the relationship between lighting and safety. The first is that improved visibility may increase surveillance and perceived risks for potential offenders, while the second is that investment in lighting may communicate community improvement and strengthen informal social control. More recent evidence similarly suggests that lighting conditions can influence how pedestrians evaluate the safety and security of public spaces, although the effect depends on the physical, social and environmental characteristics of the location (Welsh & Farrington, 2022; Trop et al., 2023).

Residents’ perception of safety is an important dimension of urban well-being because actual security conditions and people’s subjective assessment of safety are not necessarily identical. A neighbourhood may have relatively low recorded crime but still be perceived as unsafe if residents encounter darkness, abandoned spaces, poor infrastructure or signs of disorder. Conversely, the presence of functioning infrastructure and visible human activity may contribute to a stronger sense of security. Research on urban neighbourhoods has demonstrated that perceptions of safety are shaped by environmental and social conditions, including vulnerability, neighbourhood disorder and social participation (Adams & Serpe, 2000; Olajide & Lawanson, 2012). In this regard, street lighting deserves attention not only as a physical infrastructure intervention but also as a factor that may shape residents’ interpretation of their immediate environment during night-time activities.

The relationship between lighting and perceived safety is particularly relevant to pedestrians and other residents who use neighbourhood streets after dark. People may need to walk to homes, workplaces, markets, religious centres, transport points, educational institutions and other destinations during evening hours. When streets are poorly illuminated, individuals may have difficulty identifying obstacles, assessing the behaviour of strangers or determining whether particular locations are safe to pass through. A systematic review by Trop, Shoshany Tavory, and Portnov (2023) found that public-space lighting is associated with pedestrians’ perceptions of safety, comfort and pleasantness, while also stressing that lighting effects vary according to contextual factors such as the design and characteristics of particular places. Similarly, a survey experiment by Kochel and Weisburd (2021) found that enhanced nighttime ambient lighting could reduce fear associated with spending time outdoors, demonstrating that lighting conditions can affect people’s subjective assessments of public-space safety.

Street lighting may also influence the extent to which residents use neighbourhood spaces after dark. When individuals feel that streets are adequately illuminated, they may be more willing to walk, interact with neighbours, patronise businesses or engage in other legitimate activities during evening hours. Increased legitimate use of public spaces can potentially strengthen informal observation and social interaction within communities. Earlier research by Painter (1996) found that appropriately implemented street-lighting improvements were associated with reductions in fear of crime and increased pedestrian use after dark. More recent systematic evidence has also shown that lighting interventions can have measurable effects on crime outcomes, although the magnitude and nature of these effects vary across settings. Welsh and Farrington (2022), for example, reported that their updated systematic review found a significant reduction in total crime associated with street-lighting interventions, while also noting that the effects differed by crime type and research setting.

The issue of night-time safety is particularly important in Nigerian cities where rapid urban growth, infrastructure deficits and varying levels of neighbourhood development can produce substantial differences in environmental conditions from one locality to another. Nigerian research has shown that residents’ perceptions of safety are influenced by neighbourhood conditions and experiences of insecurity. In Benin City specifically, studies have identified spatial differences in crime vulnerability and residents’ concerns about crime, suggesting that urban security is not experienced uniformly across the city (Bello et al., 2013; Badiora et al., 2018). Evidence from other Nigerian urban contexts also indicates that street lighting is increasingly considered in relation to security, mobility and night-time economic activity. A recent assessment of street lighting in Oyo State, for example, reported a strong perceived relationship between areas lacking functional street lighting and urban security concerns (Oyelami & Kehinde, 2024). These findings provide a basis for examining whether similar relationships are perceived by residents in selected neighbourhoods of Benin City.

Benin City provides a relevant setting for examining the relationship between street lighting and perceived night-time safety because it is a major urban centre with extensive residential, commercial and transportation activities that continue beyond daylight hours. The Edo State Government has also implemented the Light-Up Edo initiative, with Benin City forming an important part of efforts to expand street lighting and support a 24-hour economy. Government reports on the initiative have indicated that residents in areas where lighting projects have been implemented associated improved lighting with greater feelings of security and increased night-time activity (Edo State Government, 2022). Nevertheless, the existence of a street-lighting programme does not necessarily mean that all neighbourhoods experience adequate, reliable or evenly distributed lighting. Differences in the availability, functionality, brightness, coverage and maintenance of streetlights may produce different perceptions among residents. Therefore, there is a need for empirical investigation into how residents in selected neighbourhoods of Benin City perceive the relationship between the availability and condition of street lighting and their sense of safety at night. This study consequently focuses on the relationship between street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Night-time movement is an important part of urban life, yet the ability of residents to move safely after dark depends partly on the physical conditions of streets and public spaces. In neighbourhoods where streets are poorly illuminated, residents may experience difficulty seeing pedestrians, vehicles, road obstacles and activities occurring around them. Such conditions can contribute to uncertainty and fear, particularly where residents already have concerns about crime and disorder. Evidence from research on public-space lighting indicates that inadequate lighting can negatively affect perceptions of safety and security among pedestrians, although the relationship is not always uniform across different environments (Trop et al., 2023). The problem, therefore, is not simply whether streetlights exist, but whether they provide sufficient and reliable illumination to support residents’ confidence in using neighbourhood spaces at night.

A second problem concerns the possibility of differences between the availability of street lighting and its actual functionality. The installation of streetlights does not automatically ensure that streets remain adequately illuminated. Faulty bulbs, damaged infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, irregular power supply and insufficient coverage can reduce the practical benefits of street-lighting facilities. Research has demonstrated that changes in ambient lighting can influence people’s perceptions and use of outdoor spaces, while evidence concerning crime effects is more complex and context-dependent (Kochel & Weisburd, 2021; Welsh & Farrington, 2022). In a rapidly developing city such as Benin City, where neighbourhoods differ in infrastructure and land-use characteristics, residents may consequently have different experiences of street lighting and night-time safety.

A further problem is that residents’ perception of safety may not correspond directly with official crime records. Individuals make decisions about whether to walk through a street, use a public space or remain outdoors partly on the basis of how safe they believe the environment to be. Previous research in Nigeria has shown that perceptions of safety are associated with neighbourhood conditions, vulnerability and experiences of disorder, while studies of Benin City have identified variations in perceived crime and spatial vulnerability across urban areas (Olajide & Lawanson, 2012; Badiora et al., 2018). If residents perceive poorly lit streets as unsafe, they may alter their movement patterns, avoid certain areas, reduce night-time activities or depend more heavily on private transportation. Such behavioural responses can have implications for social interaction, local commerce and the general use of urban space after dark.

The specific problem addressed by this study is the limited empirical evidence on the relationship between street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety across selected neighbourhoods in Benin City. Although the Edo State Government has promoted street-lighting initiatives, including the Light-Up Edo project, and has reported improved perceptions of security in illuminated areas, these broad observations do not establish whether street-lighting conditions are significantly related to residents’ perceptions across different neighbourhood contexts (Edo State Government, 2022). Furthermore, international studies have produced evidence of positive relationships between improved lighting, perceived safety and some crime outcomes, but researchers have also emphasized contextual differences and limitations in generalising findings from one city to another (Painter, 1996; Welsh & Farrington, 2022). It is therefore necessary to investigate residents’ experiences directly in selected neighbourhoods of Benin City in order to determine whether street lighting is related to their perception of safety at night and to identify the specific dimensions of street lighting that residents associate with greater or lower levels of perceived safety.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the relationship between the availability of street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City;
2. determine the relationship between the functionality of streetlights and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City;
3. assess the relationship between the adequacy of street-light coverage and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City; and
4. examine the relationship between the quality of street-light illumination and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City.

1.5 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between the availability of street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City?
2. What is the relationship between the functionality of streetlights and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City?
3. What is the relationship between the adequacy of street-light coverage and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City?
4. What is the relationship between the quality of street-light illumination and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety in selected neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State.

1.7 Significance of the Study

This study will be significant to residents of Benin City because it will provide empirical information on how street-lighting conditions relate to their perception of safety after dark. The findings may help residents and community associations identify environmental conditions that contribute to feelings of safety or insecurity and may provide evidence for constructive engagement with relevant authorities concerning lighting infrastructure.

The study will also be useful to the Edo State Government and relevant urban-development agencies. Evidence concerning the relationship between street-lighting conditions and perceived safety may assist policymakers in identifying areas where lighting infrastructure requires installation, expansion, rehabilitation or maintenance. The findings may also contribute to discussions concerning urban planning, neighbourhood development and the creation of safer public spaces.

Security agencies may benefit from the findings because street lighting can form part of broader environmental approaches to crime prevention and community safety. Understanding how residents perceive illuminated and poorly illuminated locations may assist security agencies and community safety organisations in identifying environmental conditions that residents associate with vulnerability and insecurity.

Urban planners, environmental designers and local government authorities may also find the study useful. The findings may provide evidence for incorporating lighting availability, coverage, functionality and illumination quality into neighbourhood planning and public-space design. This is particularly relevant because lighting should be considered alongside other environmental and social measures rather than as an isolated solution to urban insecurity.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic knowledge by providing empirical evidence from Benin City on the relationship between street lighting and perceived night-time safety. Existing literature contains substantial international evidence, but contextual differences mean that findings from other countries cannot automatically be assumed to apply to Nigerian cities. The study may therefore provide a basis for future research on environmental design, urban safety, crime prevention, neighbourhood perception and night-time mobility in Nigeria.

1.8 Scope of the Study

The study is geographically delimited to selected neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State. The study focuses on residents of the selected neighbourhoods who have sufficient experience of the areas, particularly their conditions after dark.

The study is conceptually concerned with two major variables: street lighting and residents’ perception of night-time safety. Street lighting will be examined through four dimensions: availability of streetlights, functionality of streetlights, adequacy of lighting coverage, and quality of illumination. Residents’ perception of night-time safety will focus on the extent to which residents feel safe walking, travelling, interacting and undertaking legitimate activities within their neighbourhoods after dark.

The study does not attempt to establish that street lighting alone causes or prevents crime. Rather, it examines the relationship between observable or perceived street-lighting conditions and residents’ subjective perception of safety. Other factors that may influence safety perceptions, such as policing, neighbourhood disorder, previous victimisation, social cohesion and individual characteristics, are acknowledged but are outside the principal focus of the study.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Street Lighting: Publicly provided lighting infrastructure installed along roads, streets, pedestrian routes and other public spaces to provide illumination after dark.

Availability of Street Lighting: The extent to which streetlights are present and accessible within the streets and public spaces of a neighbourhood.

Functionality of Streetlights: The extent to which installed streetlights are operational and capable of providing illumination when required.

Street-Light Coverage: The extent to which streetlights adequately illuminate the roads, pedestrian paths, junctions and other relevant public spaces within a neighbourhood.

Quality of Illumination: The perceived adequacy, consistency and effectiveness of light produced by streetlights in enabling residents to see people, objects, vehicles and potential hazards at night.

Night-Time Safety: The extent to which residents feel protected from crime, accidents, harassment and other perceived threats while using neighbourhood streets and public spaces after dark.

Perception of Safety: A resident’s subjective assessment or feeling regarding how safe or unsafe a neighbourhood environment is, particularly during night-time activities.

Residents: Individuals who live within the selected neighbourhoods in Benin City and who constitute the population from which respondents for the study will be selected.

Neighbourhood: A defined residential or mixed-use urban area within Benin City where people live and undertake social, economic and other legitimate activities.

Night-Time Activities: Legitimate activities undertaken by residents after daylight hours, including walking, travelling, shopping, social interaction, attending religious activities and returning home.

1.10 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research questions, hypothesis, significance, scope and operational definitions. Chapter Two will review relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature relating to street lighting, environmental design, perceived safety and night-time urban activities. Chapter Three will present the research methodology, including the research design, population, sample and sampling procedure, instrument for data collection, validity and reliability, method of data collection and techniques for data analysis. Chapter Four will present and analyse the data collected from respondents and will address the research questions and hypothesis. Chapter Five will provide the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations based on the results of the study.

Project – The Relationship between Street Lighting and Residents’ Perception of Night-Time Safety: A Study of Selected Neighbourhoods in Benin City, Edo State