Presentation of the study

Studies on urban nightlife carried out before the COVID-19 health crisis had already identified a whole series of societal, economic and environmental issues. These include the need to reconcile the various uses of the city at night, such as leisure, work and rest, as well as noise and light pollution.

In Brittany, several towns and villages have already experimented with reducing or even switching off urban lighting at night. Others have relaunched their initiatives to set up management and monitoring tools, such as the adoption of a "Trame Noire". However, the implementation of such energy-saving measures, which have an impact on the preservation of biodiversity, does not necessarily imply systematic support on the part of the population, particularly those living in dense urban areas.

This study is the fruit of collaboration between a team of researchers from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) and two Brest-based associations, Ener'gence and the MonaLuna theater company, as part of the research-action project entitled "Smart Noz: more sustainable and resilient nights in Brittany".

The main aim of the project was to investigate the following question: To what extent can we reconcile access for all to spaces at night, while reducing environmental impact?

In the long term, the aim is to design and implement methodological tools and citizen initiatives to initiate a transition towards more sober lighting of the city at night in Brittany.

The main aim of the project was to investigate the following question: To what extent can we reconcile access for all to spaces during the night, while reducing environmental impact?

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