Artificial light is one of the most visibly impactful and transformative features of contemporary life. It shapes how we move, work, rest, and perceive our human environments. From its use in urban infrastructure to satellite monitoring and geopolitical conflict, light is both a tool and a symbol of modernity. Yet its expansion has also produced significant challenges, most notably in the form of light pollution, which disrupts ecosystems and obscures the night sky. Crucially, light pollution also directly impacts human health by disrupting natural sleep cycles, which can lead to increased stress and higher risks of physical and mental health illnesses.
This Collection explores the cultural, spatial, human health policy, and general political dimensions of artificial illumination. It considers how light functions as a marker of development, and a medium through which safety and visibility are negotiated.
We welcome submissions that engage with topics including (but not limited to):
- Light pollution and its ecological, psychological, and social consequences
- Methodologies for evaluating land use and urban expansion through light
- The distribution of light across urban and rural landscapes
- Urbanisation, infrastructure, and spatial gradients of artificial illumination
- Nighttime light data and its use in monitoring conflict, emissions, and development
- Analyses of safety and activity in artificially lit environments
- Remote sensing and the politics of visibility
- Cultural and symbolic meanings of light in urban and rural contexts
- The role of artificial light in shaping public space and social behaviour
We encourage interdisciplinary approaches and welcome contributions from scholars working across a range of fields including (but not limited to): urban studies, environmental research, public health, human geography, cultural analysis, and spatial technology policy.
Research that is not rooted in the humanities or social sciences will be considered out of scope.
