During the 19th century, American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson penned the expression “gas-light is found to be the best nocturnal police” in his essay Worship. With regard to public lighting in American cities today, the phrase can have a double meaning – security or surveillance.
Beyond simply making it safe for people to see at night, public lighting’s link to security carries deeper significance in neighborhoods, especially regarding race and class. The use of public lighting has been viewed as a socioeconomic indicator that separates wealthy areas from less affluent ones.
