Designers Should Prioritize Proper Color Temperature in Exterior Lighting Designs to Serve Their Communities

 

As society grapples with the intricacies of modern life, the influence of exterior lighting on our psychological and physiological well-being has begun to draw attention. It’s not just about illuminating the darkness anymore; it’s also about respecting the natural rhythms of our bodies and fostering meaningful human interactions. A key factor here is the color temperature of the light—how warm or cool it appears—and what’s the best type of lighting for a specific time of day. This nuanced approach to lighting can enhance the safety and comfort of pedestrians, drivers, and anyone else navigating public spaces after sunset. 

Furthermore, well-thought-out lighting design could potentially stimulate a more vibrant and open community life. Imagine the impact on our cities, if they were not only more illuminated, but also more engaging and welcoming. Shedding further light on this fascinating interplay of design, light, and societal well-being is Shayva Steinberg, Professor of Lighting and Acoustics for Interior Design at George Brown College. 

Steinberg has two decades worth of experience in the interior design space.  The Toronto-based designer is also the owner and operator of shaype, where she consults and designs spaces adhering to custom preferences, such as lighting and spacing suggestions and needs. By using the Kelvin color temperature as a measure, Steinberg explained certain ratings are scientifically more suited to specific environments. Additionally, she explained the influence lighting can have on human well-being, and what color temperatures designers should prioritize.  

Steinberg’s Thoughts

“We should be designing our exterior lighting so that the time of day is well suited to the color temperature of the lighting. So usually our exterior lighting is only going on at night, so it should always be warm. So park lighting should be warm lighting, 3,000 Kelvin or less. Lighting in street lamps should be warmer. It doesn’t need to be any less bright, it simply needs to be warmer, as does the lighting of headlamps for cars. These super bright LEDs that are very cool are really hard for our eyes when it’s oncoming traffic, for our eyes to adjust to that oncoming traffic light temperature, but also difficult for our biology to process it at that time of night. It should not be so bluish. 

“So, we need to be concerned about color temperature, not just color like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, but we need to be concerned with color temperature, like how warm, how red, or how cool, how blue is the light that we’re putting in here, and is it suited to the time of day. So, that’s what I have to say about lighting design and how we can prioritize it more. I do believe that having more well-lit areas will provide the opportunity for better communication, for more cultural openness, and the possibility of people interacting with more strangers, interacting with each other more freely in the outdoors. I would really love to see that happen, especially in Toronto where I think a lot of us walk around with blinders on and kind of don’t necessarily acknowledge other people around us.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

summer melt
From Freshmen to Founders: Michigan Students Take on Higher Ed’s Summer Melt Crisis with MeetYourClass
May 29, 2025

A growing number of colleges are struggling to convert applicants into enrolled students—and to keep them engaged through graduation. With Gen Z students relying heavily on familiar digital platforms like Instagram and Discord for social interaction, traditional college tools for orientation, enrollment, and community-building often miss the mark. According to research, between 10 to 40…

Read More
Aviation maintenance
The Future of Flight Depends on Mechanics, Not Machines: How Jets MRO is Solving the Aviation Maintenance Talent Gap
May 28, 2025

Private aviation is booming—but behind the sleek jets and luxury cabins lies a hidden crisis. A looming shortage of qualified aviation maintenance technicians threatens to ground growth. According to Boeing’s 2023 Pilot and Technician Outlook, the industry will need about 690,000 new maintenance technicians by 2042. While private jet usage is skyrocketing, the infrastructure to…

Read More
digital learning ecosystem
Stride at 25: Redefining the Digital Learning Ecosystem for Today’s K–12 Learners
May 28, 2025

As virtual learning matures and school choice accelerates across the U.S.,the 25th anniversary of Stride Inc. offers a moment to reflect on how far the digital learning ecosystem has come and where it’s headed.. Once known as K12 Inc., the company helped pioneer online education at scale. But in a landscape shaped by evolving…

Read More
search
From Search (SEO) to Answers with Generative AI
May 27, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma—founder of Spark Novus, which partners with marketing leaders to adopt AI responsibly and strategically—hosts Mike Ensing, Founder and CEO of Revere AI. They explore how LLMs are revolutionizing search, shifting the customer journey, and forcing a new marketing playbook where brand discovery is increasingly…

Read More