Light The Way: Environmental expert warns against flood lights in Glasgow's parks
A lecturer in sustainability at Glasgow Caledonian University is suggesting smart lights could be part of the solution.
Last updated 19th Sep 2023
An environmental expert is suggesting installing smart lights in Glasgow's parks could be part of the solution to giving people a safe route home at night.
The city council is looking at ways in which it can light up routes without impacting surrounding wildlife.
READ MORE: Light The Way: Glasgow stays in the dark as Edinburgh Council to splash out on park lighting
Professor Rohinton Emmanuel is a lecturer in sustainability at Glasgow Caledonian University and told Greatest Hits Radio: "We know that we already have problems with insects choosing to make parks in Glasgow their home and this is a wider issue across Europe.
"Flood lighting in parks is not the best idea to making pathways safe, but automatic lights could be part of the solution."
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Later this month, charities, councillors, experts and people who use the likes of Kelvingrove, Queen's Park and Cranhill will meet to discuss ways of making lights in these places a reality.
Glasgow City Council has agreed to install lights in parks across the city as a trial from January 2025, but earlier this year councillors told us they don't have the money in this year's budget to fund them.
Rohinton added: "Automatic and motion-sensitive lighting could be part of the solution because they pick up on movement would be a cost-effective answer.
"However, they may also be viewed as unfriendly because they do not turn on until someone starts to move."