Assessing safety perceptions and lighting conditions in a metro station

Abstract

Objectives: This study examines how different lighting scenarios, involving variations in intensity and/or colour, influence safety perceptions on metro station platforms and in passages. Methods: Physical filters were applied to the station’s lighting to create different scenarios, which were compared to baseline conditions using MANOVA, correlation, and regression models. The experiment involved 92 participants—67 university students and 25 older individuals with visual impairments. After informed consent and a visual performance assessment, participants experienced each lighting condition in two sequences, including wash-outs. Results: “Safety” is associated with “comfort” and “pleasantness” and less with “colour” related emotional responses. On platforms, dimmed neutral lighting does not lower safety perceptions compared to the neutral baseline. In passages, the reduction in safety scores under treated lighting passages remains significant even after controlling for participants’ gender, crime exposure, disabilities, and test order. Participants with visual impairments consistently reported lower perceived safety, particularly in passages with reduced, coloured lighting. The study underscores the importance of inclusive lighting design and calls for further experimental CPTED research on minimum lighting thresholds, emphasising the need to disentangle the effects of colour from intensity when assessing lighting’s impact on safety.