Parks and green spaces

In our municipality, in addition to forests and natural areas, we also have many parks and green spaces. Here we find beautiful flora and fauna. Lighting can harm the flora and fauna.

Phantom safety
There is little or no social control in parks and green spaces during the evening and night. Houses often have no view of the park or green space. In addition, few people walk through them during the dark hours. If we put public lighting in these locations, it may give the feeling that the path through the park is safe, but it is not. We call that false safety. Because there is no help from bystanders or neighbors if something happens. Moreover, the lights may actually attract people with bad intentions during the dark hours.

Photo: Laan van Kobus Aalten. A park with tall trees. If there were lighting here, and something happened in the dark, no one would see it. The light would then provide a false sense of security.

This is how we do it from now on

Parks and green spaces are not illuminated. In this way we avoid disturbing the day and night rhythm of nature as much as possible.
Where there is lighting now, it will in principle be removed when it is time to replace it. We do this in consultation with local residents and users. If it is a frequently used through route and there is no other route, it may be decided to leave the lighting in place. The lights are dimmed from 7:00 p.m. and switched off at night.