Effects of lighting on health and well-being to be studied in Tartu, Estonia
25 February / The City of Tartu, in cooperation with the University of Tartu, is taking part in the ENLIGHTENme project, within the framework of which researchers and experts will study how outdoor and indoor lighting affects the health and well-being of people.
The ultimate aim of the project, which involves ten countries, is to develop health-friendly urban lighting solutions. Europe’s urban lighting policy is primarily focused on cost savings and energy efficiency. ‘The City of Tartu has been actively engaged in upgrading street lighting and making it more efficient in recent years. With the help of researchers from the University of Tartu and foreign partners, we hope that the current project will provide us with good practical knowledge about how to better take into account the effects on human health when planning and reconstructing urban lighting,’ said Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm.
As part of the ENLIGHTENme project, researchers will investigate how outdoor and indoor lighting affect the health and well-being of people. Various studies show that exposure to inappropriate and disruptive lighting during the hours of darkness has a profound impact on people’s circadian rhythms, health and well-being. Older people are particularly affected.
A range of innovative technical solutions and approaches will be tested in three pilot cities – Tartu, Bologna, and Amsterdam – to identify the links between health, well-being, lighting and socio-economic factors. Researchers from the University of Tartu will start health studies in Tartu. Among other things, two study groups will be set up from the inhabitants in the area, one of which will be given new, more biologically suitable lighting conditions, while the other group will continue to live in their usual conditions.
Within the framework of the project the Annelinn lighting idea laboratory Living Lab will begin operating, where various workshops and meetings will take place. A wide range of events are planned for residents – meetings, walks, themed outdoor activities, etc. All residents of Annelinn, and any other residents of Tartu who would like to have a say in the city’s outdoor lighting, are invited to fill in a feedback questionnaire, either online or on paper at the Annelinn branch library. There will be a prize draw for souvenirs bearing the city’s emblem among those who fill in the questionnaire.
A number of science-based methodologies and tools for assessing the impact of lighting on human well-being, and recommendations for the design and use of healthy lighting, will be developed as part of the project.
The lead partner for the project is the University of Bologna (Italy). Cities, universities and companies from Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Germany, France, and the United States are participating in the project. The project will run from 01 March 2021 through 28 February 2025.
Additional information about the project–www.enlightenme-project.eu
The project is supported by Horizon 2020, the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Additional information: Olja Fomina, Project Assistant, Tartu City Government, tel: 5307-7321, [email protected]
Last changed 25.02.2022
