Nocturnal Ecologies - Ecologically informed lighting for urban and peri-urban green spaces

I offer research expertise in the nocturnal stewardship of urban and peri-urban green spaces, focusing on integrating ecologically informed lighting into planning, design and maintenance. These spaces support biodiversity while providing access to nature, active-mobility routes and recreation. Yet nocturnal conditions remain insufficiently integrated into urban development and long-term green-space stewardship, despite the importance of light–dark cycles for plant physiology and the biological and behavioural rhythms of animals and humans.

My research examines urban lighting technologies and practices at the intersection of lighting science, spatial and landscape configuration, ecological knowledge and stakeholder perceptions.

This research builds on my participation in NorDark (2022–2025), a Nordic academic–industry consortium funded by NordForsk and the Swedish Energy Agency. Within the project, I developed the full-scale urban lighting testbed as a research environment and led its empirical evaluation through field measurements and stakeholder studies. I currently lead a Svensson Foundation-funded project extending this work within my PhD project.

My methods combine research-through-design, in situ photometric and spectral measurements, stakeholder interviews, resident studies and comparative case-study analysis. Potential contributions include:

• Developing nocturnal lighting configurations adapted to spatial and ecological contexts

• Evaluating adaptive lighting technologies and complementary spatial interventions

• Establishing measurement and evaluation protocols

• Translating findings into decision-support tools for planning and maintenance

I would like to join a CUE Topic 1 and 2 consortium developing systemic, biodiversity-friendly and socially inclusive approaches to the stewardship of urban green and blue spaces. I am particularly interested in collaboration with:

• Municipalities, local authorities and community organisations

• Green space and park management organisations

• Urban and nocturnal ecology researchers

• Landscape architects and green-infrastructure researchers

• Environmental psychology, chronobiology and public-space researchers

• Lighting control, sensing and environmental-data partners

• Community engagement and living-lab specialists

Role and availability
Research partner; contributor to or potential lead of a work package on night-time stewardship, field evaluation, stakeholder engagement or decision-support methods, subject to consortium structure and institutional arrangements.

I expect to complete my PhD in March 2027 and can contribute to consortium development during the proposal stage, followed by participation in a postdoctoral or researcher capacity from the anticipated project start.