Umeå universitets logga

Many people may feel insecure if a place or an area have poor lightning. When darkness falls, it is a natural reaction to become cautious as control over seeing one's surroundings deteriorates. People are very dependent on lighting in urban environments. If the environments do not have enough lighting, limitations for the individual may arise from the fear of being exposed to a threatening situation. The purpose of this study is to analyze how young adults experience the lighting in Umeå's central city, from a safety perspective. The study also focuses on what improvements regarding lighting there are in Umeå according to the interviewees that they believe can increase their safety in an area.

The study is based on 6 interviews with 3 men and 3 women between the ages of 20 - 30 who live in the Umeå regional center. In order to investigate the purpose further, coding of the collected interview material has also been done. After analyzing the material, it emerged that women's insecurity is based on the fear of being exposed to abuse or a threatening situation. While the men were more afraid of the dark due to poor visibility or the fear of being jumped on by an animal. There were also many suggestions for improvement opportunities regarding lighting in Umeå.