LIGHTING-Innovation-Design

Elevate walkways and outdoor aesthetics with Solar Lighting Designs' range of reliable solar bollard lights. Explore our Solar Lights collection.

Increasing urbanisation is impacting biodiversity globally, and new research using citizen science data has found that 11 species of larger Australian birds of prey have had a negative response to this urbanisation.

Reducing global emissions and helping Australian mining and industrial businesses reduce their carbon footprint and operate more sustainably is a top priority of Earthtrack Group, a leading Australian...

Ausgrid and up to 33 local councils are set to deliver what could be the largest and most advanced smart street lighting upgrade in Australia....

LED Lighting Technology Upgrades Newcastle | WE-EF. The first of what may be many lighting upgrades using innovative LED lighting technology has been completed in Newcastle on Australia's east coast, just a few hours north of Sydney.

Waverley Council is considering ways to cut light pollution in Sydney’s eastern suburbs without affecting public safety.

Sydney, Australia, moves to 100 percent renewable energy derived from local wind and solar farms, as of July 1, 2020.

Gerard Lighting Group (GLG) has completed the sale of its infrastructure lighting division in Australia, Sylvania and Austube, to the Schréder Group, one of the world’s leading intelligent outdoor lighting solutions providers. Schréder Group will operate in the Australian and New Zealand markets combining both existing names and brands, as Sylvania Schréder and Austube Schréder. Both Schréder Australia and Sylvania Schréder’s teams will be integrated into a single entity, creating a strong market leader in Australia. Schréder Group Chief Executive, Werner De Wolf advised “we are in the business of bringing people seamless lighting experiences and growing the smart cities of tomorrow. Now as an integrated organisation we can combine our strong reputation in the market with global innovation, creating a stronger market leader in Australia.” Sylvania Schréder Chief Executive, Kaushal Kapadia noted “this marks a significant milestone for outdoor and infrastructure lighting in Australia. The joint organisation will be able to strengthen their respective product portfolios and benefit from a more competitive and complete offering. “By leveraging Schréder’s global experience and technology and Sylvania’s local know how and market leadership, we will be able to deliver even better solutions and further strengthen our customer relationships. This will open up possibilities for more product innovation in both lighting and new markets. The integration of both entities will be seamless, with no change to the level of service to customers. Operations will be largely unchanged for the foreseeable future and will continue to operate under the leadership of Kaushal Kapadia. Sylvania – now rebranded as Sylvania Schréder - is the leading outdoor lighting brand in Australia. It designs and manufactures outdoor lighting with applications in roads, tunnels, decorative lighting, recreational sports and smart lighting connected solutions. Austube – now rebranded as Austube Schréder - designs and manufactures indoor linear lighting solutions for applications in railway, airports and commercial infrastructures. Headquartered in Belgium, Schréder has been operating as a family-owned business since 1907. It has over 2,600 employees in more than 35 locations worldwide, including Perth where it opened its first Australian subsidiary in 2015. Since then, the company has provided lighting solutions for a host of major infrastructure and urban renewal projects around the country. Click here for further information on Gerard Lighting via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.  Image of South Belgrave Oval courtesy of Gerard Lighting. Related Articles 22nd January 2020 - GERARD LIGHTING GROUP AGREES TO SALE OF INFRASTRUCTURE DIVISION TO SCHRÉDER 17th April 2019 - GERARD LIGHTING’S NEW GLG BRANDING PART OF MOVE TO ‘REIMAGINE LIGHTING’ 17th July 2018 - GERARD LIGHTING ILLUMINATES 30 NETBALL COURTS AT PERTH’S KINGSWAY SPORTING COMPLEX 22nd March 2018 - GERARD LIGHTING GROUP ILLUMINATES MELBOURNE’S SOUTH BELGRAVE OVAL 10th March 2020 - LIGHTING IMPROVING PROJECT AT SUNSHINE COAST STADIUM APPROACHES COMPLETION 22nd January 2020 - MARGARET RIVER HOCKEY CLUB SET TO RECEIVE NEW SYNTHETIC TURF HALF-PITCH WITH LIGHTING 8th November 2019 - JASSTECH HIGHLIGHTS HISTORY OF LED SPORT LIGHTING INNOVATIONS AND INSTALLATION DURABILITY 20th September 2019 - GLG RELEASES CLOUD-BASED SPORTS FIELD LIGHTING CONTROL SOLUTION 17th August 2019 - CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER HAGLEY OVAL LIGHTING PROPOSAL 29th July 2019 - INVESTMENT IN SPORTS LIGHTING GIVES NORTHERN TERRITORY CLUBS MORE FLEXIBILITY 16th July 2019 - WOLLONGONG CITY COUNCIL COMMITS $1.1 MILLION TO IMPROVE SPORTS FIELD LIGHTING 30th April 2019 - CALOUNDRA INDOOR STADIUM GETS A LIGHTING FACELIFT Asking a small favour We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support? The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads. However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so. Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management. Subscriptions cost just $90 a year. Click here to subscribe.

The Greater Sydney Commission is urging all businesses and organisations to commit their efforts to combatting street harassment and violence towards women and girls.

Australia's tech sector is making headway on an international level. Learn about the Australia tech outlook and what's next in the country.

A cattle station in outback Western Australia proves popular with stargazers and now hopes to become internationally recognised for its starry nights.

The Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 has its complete summary provided in such a pattern that the reading is enough to get the gist of the vital information mentioned in the report. Factors such as .product distribution, product demand, financial growth, growth benefits, business flexibility, and other applications are all provided in the report in detailed as well as segmented pattern. The Global Connected Street Light Market 2019  has excelled its profit bar due to the application of strategic intelligence on a global scale. At present, Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 focuses on enhancing its global market status with the help of the dominating players. 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For More Enquiry Ask Our Experts:-  http://www.marketresearchtrade.com/report/global-connected-street-light-market-2017-industry-sales.html#Buying_Inquiry This Report can be customized to meet your requirements. The Global Connected Street Light Market mentioned in the report has all the informative necessary details such as the economic tactics, product supply and demand, applications, future forecast, and growth and development factors mentioned in a positive outline. The geographical and industrial dominance is expected to help the market carve out a name for itself on a global scale. The topological bifurcations are also a market growth benefiter that the current Global Connected Street Light Market plans to strategically use to gain dominance. Reasons for Buying this Report:- This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics. It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth. It provides a growth map over time to understand the industry growth rate. It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future. It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Global  Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 . Global Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 Research Report Objectives are:- To Study of the major players in the world along with their market share to understand their overall performance in the market. To Examine products and application segments. Investigation of major regional segmentation on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow. Provide detailed information concerning the major factors (opportunities, drivers, restraints, and industry-specific challenges) influencing the growth of Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 . Analyze the industry w.r.t  individual growth trends, prospects and contributions of Overall Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 . Analyze opportunities in the market for various stakeholders by classifying the high-growth segments of Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 . Profile the key players and comprehensively analyses of their market position in terms of ranking and core competencies along with detailing the competitive landscape for the market leaders. Analyze competitive developments, such as partnerships and joint ventures, new product developments, expansions, research and development in Global Connected Street Light Market 2019 . TagsGlobal Connected Street Light Market

The International Public Works Conference will feature three emerging technology forums, including the Street Lighting & Smart Controls (SLSC) Forum.

Australian Pelican perched on a street light Stock Photo - Alamy

University of Leicester has implemented a smart lighting control system as part of measures to reduce energy consumption while City of Stirling has opted for a network-as-a-service solution.

Analyst Q&A: Smart cities – a world of possibilities Dominique Bonte VP – End Markets/Verticals ABI Research Joe Dignan Head of IDC Government Insights Europe IDC Charles Anderson Founder CRA & Associates Malabika Mandal Industry Analyst - Visionary Innovation Group Frost & Sullivan Experts from four top analyst and consulting companies – ABI Research, IDC, Frost & Sullivan and CRA & Associates – explore the current development of smart city innovation around the globe and offer their vision on investment possibilities for operators and other businesses. Q: Where and how will smart city innovation really bring a change for citizens and businesses? Dominique Bonte (DB) Generally speaking, smart citiy technologies enable bringing more advanced and more affordable services and solutions to citizens, improving the overall living experience and convenience, safety, security and prosperity through economic activity and growth across all segments and services (mobility, energy, utilities, government services). More recently, resilience has come to the foreground as a key requirement to protect cities against emergency situations like climate-related flooding and drought, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, and cyber attacks, diseases and wars, but also economic and social crises. The most visible and tangible benefits of smart city technologies for citizens include crime prevention and road safety, air quality and overall environmental sustainability, quality and price of utilities and services, high-quality city infrastructure and the level of economic and social activity, all of which can be enabled and/or enhanced by a range of technologies. Finally, as cities are in the middle of the fight against the pandemic, cities are deploying a range of technologies including smart cameras and drones to help enforce social distancing measures. Joe Dignan (JD) The smart city arena is maturing into IoT platforms that create data, data exchanges that can synthesise the data, digital twins that visualise the data and return on investment (ROI) models that can prove the success or otherwise of the intervention. With a single view of a citizen across government and a single view of government for the citizen there will be great strides in health, education, mobility and resilience. Charles Anderson (CA) When smart cities start out, they focus on leveraging technology and data to drive operational efficiency and improved decision-making across its various agencies because these solutions tend to have a clear ROI. However, as they evolve, they need to set regulations, create policies and implement solutions that benefit the other key stakeholders, namely businesses and citizens. For businesses, it’s more than implementing new technologies and solutions. It’s about creating a set of policies and strategies to ensure a transparent, efficient and competitive business environment to serve the existing businesses operating in that city as well as attracting new ones. For citizens, the objectives are to improve inclusiveness, services and the quality of life for the people who live there. Again, it’s more than just technology that is involved. Cities can implement policies and strategies related to, for instance, improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion, which will improve the citizens’ quality of life. But cities can also digitise their citizen service offerings to streamline and enhance the way they interact and transact with their citizens. Malabika Mandal (MM) We have observed smart solutions such as low-energy localities, connected infrastructure and sustainable urban mobility solutions that have gained immense potential within the smart city space. Main innovation themes within the smart city sphere are mainly observed in the delivery of these smart solutions. Smart mobility: the biggest mobility innovation in next few years will be energy-efficient public transport as well as increased automation support by electric vehicles. For example, the city of Helsinki is already piloting electric-powered self-driving buses known as robo-buses in real-life traffic conditions, which are expected to start their services within next 5 years. Smart energy: smart cities are working towards achieving the goal of zero carbon emission by next 10-15 years. Innovations will be prominent in areas like smart energy management, renewable energy and energy distribution systems. For example, more than 50 per cent of homes and businesses in the city of London have been already connected through smart meters and 85 per cent of homes and businesses are expected to be connected through smart meters by 2025. Smart lighting: connected or networked street lighting infrastructure provides additional 20 per cent to 30 per cent energy savings on top of the 50 per cent savings achieved by switching to LEDs. Smart cities have taken a step ahead through innovation in smart lighting by developing smart street lighting programmes that can support multiple smart city applications. For example, Copenhagen is testing the use of light controls and intersection-based occupancy sensors to provide extra illumination to bicyclists at cross intersections. Q: Which countries have made real strides towards establishing smart cities and why are these areas more advanced than others? DB City-states like Singapore and Dubai are among the most advanced and visionary regions in terms of the adoption of innovative smart city technologies such as driverless shuttles, blockchain, passenger carrying drones, renewable energy (solar panels built into road services, etc.), vertical farms, and more generally e-services for healthcare, education, etc. They are also deploying digital twins as the ultimate design, planning, maintenance and management tool for advancing the smart cities agenda. As a general rule, many Asian megacities face a higher level of urgency to move ahead with smart city agendas due to critical problems related to pollution, congestion and overpopulation, putting a strain on the delivery of utilities and services. This prompts many to accelerate vehicle electrification and renewable energy programs in the form of microgrids and micromobility, as well as smart waste management, recycling and water processing as part of a wider shift to urban circularity. JD Smart cities is a marketing term for advanced urban digital transformation, and it is not a single market. There are major differences between greenfield new cities in the developing world and retrofitting existing cities in the developed world. Equally, there are differences of approach in command and control and democratic countries. In essence, it is easier to mandate something than to get agreement. Ergo, we should stop talking about smart cities as one market. CA The cities making the greatest strides are those that have the best cross-ecosystem collaboration combined with a proof-of-concept (POC) deployment model that creates a quick and easy process to test new smart city solutions. Taipei City, for instance, has proactively engaged more than 500 technology vendors and run over 200 POCs in recent years. Their collaborative model allows them to quickly evaluate new, innovative solutions across all their government agencies to see which deliver tangible value. If they deliver, they move forward. If not, they move on. These POCs can be delivered and evaluated over a period of months, whereas many cities require years to test and evaluate their POCs. Sad, but true. MM According to our recent study titled “Global Smart City Scorecard 2020”, cities such as Amsterdam, Seoul, Singapore and Copenhagen have the highest average scores across all indicator categories. Seoul and Singapore lead in the overall data strategy approach, which focuses on data integration, analysis and support of its critical economic sectors. Amsterdam and Copenhagen are front-runners in the use of data and IoT to improve urban life as well as develop more unified smart city services and sustainable footprint. Our research indicates that European cities have more emphasis towards smart mobility, sustainable environmental goals, data-driven development and urban innovations than North American cities. Q: What’s the role of 5G and technologies like AI and IoT in accelerating the smart city vision? DB Both 5G (and more generally IoT) and AI are key enablers of advanced smart city technologies such as smart traffic and surveillance cameras, remote asset monitoring, and driverless mobility and touchless delivery. AI in particular has been a key enabler of a range of smart, automated, innovative services. In the future 5G, AI and IoT will come together to allow offering low latency and highly reliable edge cloud (also referred to as multi-access edge computing – MEC) services for the monitoring and control of autonomous assets like delivery robots, drones, driverless shuttles and emergency response systems. More generally, it will allow sharing critical data in near real time for enabling wide-ranging demand and emergency response solutions. JD There are a plethora of new technologies coming into the market of which 5G, AI and IoT are but a few. If we also include edge computing, VR and AR, quantum and deep learning we have a whole new palate to work with, but the main consideration is not to see them as solutions but components of a value proposition. The market still sells individual point solutions, but the arena needs gestalt solutions. CA 5G and AI are not solutions, rather, they are technology enablers, so it is more about how cities use these new enablers, combined with the existing and new data they collect, to design solutions that deliver value to the various smart city stakeholder groups. In the coming 12-24 months, I believe AI will deliver the most value as cities learn to turn the massive amounts of “dumb” data they collect into actionable intelligence. It will be difficult for cities to do this on their own, so most will create partnerships to achieve their objectives. One interesting smart city public-private partnership that was announced in 2020 is between Songdo, South Korea, and Stanford University. Stanford will create a research facility in Songdo to evaluate the data captured to identify opportunities for driving operational efficiencies, reducing costs and identifying new revenue streams. The benefit of partnering with higher education is that it gives the city access to some of the “best and brightest” talent – and the university benefits by being able to provide the students studying data science with an incredible amount of data to experiment with. A true “win-win” collaboration. MM With the advent of widespread 5G availability, large-scale adoption of these disruptive technologies by smart cities will help deliver intelligent services. We observed that new technologies such as crowd analytics, real-time dashboards and AI-based surveillance systems have been widely adopted by smart cities during the Covid-19 pandemic. As we move into the new normal, smart cities will focus more on developing collaborative data-driven infrastructure to provide appropriate healthcare facilities as well as public security. More business and public entities will set up holistic digital platforms leveraging IoT devices installed across the city. Q: What do operators need to do to secure return on investment from smart cities? DB Set up close and long-term partnerships with city governments demonstrating both the benefits for citizens and the operational cost savings of their solutions; being flexible in terms of payment and financing models favouring recurring business models over upfront payments. They need to offer flexible, interoperable and open platforms and systems allowing cities to gradually grow and expand their smart city systems and solutions. Operators need to consider a more long-term lifecycle approach in terms of ROI when working with governments and cities. JD This is not rocket science and can be distilled into a four-step process. Firstly, agree the outcomes that are required. Secondly, identify what people will have to do differently to achieve those outcomes. Thirdly, provide the digital infrastructure people will need to change what they are currently doing. Finally, be able to measure the difference. CA Connectivity is a declining revenue stream, so they need to move into hardware, software (e.g. platforms) and services spaces. To do that requires a different mind-set, strategy and set of skills. They need to bring in people, and partners, that understand the technical requirements and procurement processes of the 25-30 government agencies each city has, and tailor a suite of solutions that meet them. Partners also are key to help operators get access to the purchasing decision makers. Even if the operators aren’t the “lead” vendor for the initiatives, they can provide the connectivity required for the initiatives – and hopefully some of the hardware, software and services requirements. One interesting partnership in this space is between Microsoft & Telstra to create digital twins of commercial buildings. They are initially doing this with Telstra’s larger sites to prove how digital twins can reduce energy costs and consumption, streamline facilities management and extend the useful life of assets. It is a good match – Microsoft’s value add is its analytics expertise and Azure platform, while Telstra dominates the enterprise and public sector business in Australia, and all enterprises and public sector clients have a property portfolio. I fully expect to hear more partnerships between Microsoft (and AWS and Google for that matter) and operators looking to target the smart buildings space as the industry realises building management is a data problem, not a real estate problem. MM Smart cities can deliver a return of investment only when they are more agile, collaborative and resilient that can swiftly flex to the varying needs of citizens and businesses. We have identified three main areas where smart cities can improve to deliver a return on investment. Firstly, testing before actual implementation of projects to minimise unnecessary cost burden. It is essential to investment in pilot programs of smart projects, developed with new and advanced technologies before actual implementation. The other areas are increased private and public collaboration. City governments need to collaborate with citizens and private and public enterprises to develop new business models such as co-creation and crowd-sourcing, which will help upturn proficiency and effectiveness of the government as well as increase transparency and trust among citizens for efficient city governance. Q: How will the smart city concept provide ways to boost social inclusion initiatives? DB Social inclusion is increasingly seen as a critical enabler of smart city strategies; city governments start understanding that without involvement and buy-in from citizens from all layers of society they will struggle to implement their programs. At the heart of social inclusion is the sharing of data (either as part of IoT platforms or digital twins exposing data to the wider public) and the active consultation of citizens to seek their approval about new services and projects; as it relates to reaching disadvantaged and/or impoverished citizens and neighbourhoods. The traditional digital channels can be complemented by alternative communication systems such and smart kiosks (Verizon’s smart communities concept); as it relates to mobility. Cities have a duty to make sure all citizens are served by both traditional transit and new forms of smart mobility by, for example, regulating the population reach of ridesharing providers and/or offering more flexible forms of on-demand transit. Technology can help make “public” services more profitable by advanced demand-response solutions; economic activity in cities is mostly clustered around microcities positioned in and around airports, venues, etc., leaving out parts of the cities in between. JD Social platforms were already popular before Covid-19 but the pandemic has made them ubiquitous and has accelerated our movement towards a digital society. This in turn has created the force majeure for superfast connectivity as a basic utility. Again, there are major differences in infrastructure maturity globally, but this is one area where 5G can really come to the fore. There is an enlightened self-interest aspect in this for the public sector. The more people connected, the more opportunity for public service channel shift. This will improve efficiency but, more importantly, remove cost – something all public services will be looking to do in the future. CA Boosting social inclusion is talked about a lot. However, before Covid-19, we didn’t see much action. Then, overnight, the world changed. Cities all over the world closed schools and went to online learning. The challenge is most cities will have students that don’t have the access to computers and high-speed internet at home, so how do you ensure these students don’t get left behind? This happened in Philadelphia during their initial lockdown. The city had tens of thousands of students without the necessary tools for online learning. Within just a couple weeks, the city was able to push through initiatives that addressed the issue, including procuring Chromebooks and connectivity for those without a home computer. What impressed me with this initiative was the speed of delivery. Cities are known to have long, drawn-out decision making and procurement policies. In a normal world, this could have taken years, but due to Covid-19, they proved these long cycles can be cut dramatically. MM There are several evidences of smart initiatives leading to sustainable environment and also enabling more citizen involvement in co-creating city services. For example, Amsterdam’s innovation platform named Amsterdam Smart City, in collaboration with companies, other smart city administrations, education institutes and citizens, nurtures pioneering concepts and sustainable solutions to urban challenges of the city. Paris is focusing on shaping a connected urban environment in an open configuration, taking into account citizen inputs and pushing an eco-friendly and resilient urban development plan. Paris’s Open City Model emphasises collaboration among citizens, as well as other smart city stakeholders; citizens are invited to submit project ideas and comments regarding the smart and sustainable strategy online.

Nine Australian smart city projects have been shortlisted for the 6th edition of IDC's Asia Pacific Smart Cities Awards, which recognises in this edition the progress Asia Pacific municipalities have made and provides a forum for sharing the best practices to help accelerate Smart City development...

Victoria's Moreland City Council will be making greater use of solar powered lighting to improve night-time safety near several sports facilities.

Western Australia's City of Busselton Council says it is expecting a 2-3 year payback on its latest solar power system installations.

During a run in the final hours of 2018, Michelle* found herself being dragged along the ground by a stranger in a balaclava. While she has found a female running group to help get back on track, she says it took time to stop fearing exercising in public. She had a New Year's resolution to exercise more and lose weight. She was just 500 metres from her Adelaide home and six days into her new running routine. "I was so scared. I was grabbed from behind, which knocked me to the ground," she said. "I was then dragged for a few metres until instinct kicked in. "I was just screaming. I managed to trip him over somehow, I don't even know how, and then I sprinted home." Though the attacker did not follow her home, the memories would be harder to shake. "Stupidly, I tried to run the following day, which was a disaster and I didn't make the end of my street," she said. "Everyone that I ran past, including an elderly gentleman walking his dog, scared me." The next day when she reported the attack to police, she said an officer told her the incident could not have been that serious given she had not reported it straight away. She said that reaction made her feel like she had brought the attack upon herself. "Because I ran that same track at the same time for five days in a row, I felt I had made myself a target," she said. For weeks, she was even chased in her dreams. "I was being dragged along the ground … I would wake up sweating every time," she said. Like many women who have spoken to the ABC, her fears have made exercising difficult. "I continued running for a few more weeks, but only inside on a treadmill," she said. A few weeks later, she managed to compete in a running event she had entered before the attack. "I completed the event and then that was it, I didn't run for five months," she said. Data from Monash University and Plan International has found it is not just in deserted locations where women have unsafe experiences. Megan*, who also did not want her name to be published, told the ABC she also had an experience which prompted her to stop running, but in an even more public arena. During a busy 48-hour endurance event in Adelaide, a man, dressed as an event volunteer, assaulted her during a "sports massage". "He said 'come over here, there's a table' and he took me over to a table that a podiatrist had been using earlier in the day, but it was actually out of sight of the tent and fairly in the dark," she said. "Then he started to give me a massage, but then he gave me a massage in places that I hadn't given him consent to do so." 'He started discussing my vagina and my breasts' She said he went on to use inappropriate language. "He started discussing my vagina and my breasts and giving me advice," she said. "At one stage he said, 'Let me know if you have your period', because he would be happy to go and buy me feminine products." She said she froze. "I didn't think to scream, or yell stop or do anything like that … I just didn't know what to do." She managed to leave and continue the course, but he tried to run alongside her and hold her hand. When she finally got away to report the incident, she realised a number of competitors had also been targeted, and the man was asked to leave. Organisers of the Ultra Runners SA event praised the women and said its response was part of its workplace discrimination and harassment policy, which it would continue to review and update. SA Police told the ABC both this incident and the New Year's Eve attack were under investigation. Like Michelle, Megan said the psychological impacts of being assaulted at such a public event had impacted her ability to exercise. "I've always taken precautions when I run, like only having one earphone in or none at all, running under streetlights, telling a friend where I'm going," she said. "But I guess I let my guard down a bit because it was an organised event thinking that that would be a safe place." Both Megan and Michelle have recently sought a way back to running through a local women's running group. Member Katherine Benson encouraged them, given the group had supported multiple women who had been through similar experiences while exercising alone. "Knowing that they'll be frightened, knowing that they may not want to, we try really hard to make sure they do come out, we organise group runs and buddy runs," Ms Benson said. She said it was not necessarily a guarantee women would not be harassed, with some members of the group reporting other incidents. Michelle said despite feeling safe with the group, there had been one bad experience since joining the group, when she and another runner fell behind the main pack. A group of men started to follow them. "We were chased for 200 metres, being spat on and heckled," she said. Ms Benson said incidents like those impacted the entire group. "It's certainly women who are walking to our car with our keys between our fists, it's women who give each other a lift five metres down the street, so that we don't have to walk that far on our own," she said. Being in a group does not mean you're safe Monash University's XYX Lab focusses on gender-sensitive design practices. Director Nicole Kalms said data from its 2018 Unsafe in the City report, published with Plan International, found women were often harassed or felt unsafe in crowded areas. The project allowed women to use a map to anonymously geolocate when they felt safe or unsafe in various areas of Melbourne, Sydney and other cities around the world. "Public transport space is very busy, but it's the [overcrowded nature] of public transport spaces which are very precarious for women," Dr Kalms said. The ABC's Australia Talks survey has found almost half of Australian women do not feel comfortable walking home at night, compared to less than one fifth of men. A solution often cited to solve the impact of such widespread fear among women using public spaces is lighting. XYX Lab collaborated with Arup Engineers, who assessed the data it collected on how women felt in public spaces. The research found brightly lit spaces, which some might assume improved safety, actually made women feel less safe. Arup Engineers lighting expert Tim Hunt said the research showed many public spaces were "over-lit". "Brighter spaces aren't necessarily safer spaces, and that's something that was quite clear in the research," he said. Researchers believe this is because women know very brightly lit places drop away to very dark areas. When that happens, their eyes take time to adjust to different lighting, and they feel more vulnerable to an attack. The research also found warmer light made women feel safer than cooler lighting conditions, an important finding given cooler-coloured, energy-saving LED lights are increasingly popular throughout Australia. Indeed, the more a light's colour deviated from natural daylight, the less safe women felt. Mr Hunt said they believed this was because a light's colour also impacted how well people could distinguish objects and people. For example, it is more difficult to tell objects apart under very orange sodium streetlights compared to a streetlight that mimics the colour of daylight. "In the case of someone walking towards you … you can distinguish people, from say, foliage and you correlate that with the perception of feeling safe," Mr Hunt said. "You're able to understand and see what's in front of you." Cheaper, less energy intensive The researchers said the findings showed a much more thoughtful approach to public lighting could help pave the way to women feeling safer and more confident being alone at night. Mr Hunt said in many cases public lighting had failed to innovate over time, and national lighting standards had not been updated for two decades. "The last iteration was 1999," he said. "They're getting refreshed at the moment, but it's really only to incorporate the advent of LED technology." In Australia, a light's brightness is the only unit of measurement required to comply with lighting standards. Mr Hunt said many town planners used bright lights in a misguided attempt to reduce crime and increase perceptions of safety. He said how "reflective" an environment was was an important factor in determining how much, or how little, light was needed. Doing so could not only improve perceptions of safety, but in some cases also save money. "If some of the spaces are deemed to be over-lit, not only are you going to save costs by not putting in more lights, but you'll save energy too." Cities have been designed by men and for men XYX Lab's Dr Kalms said the lack of consideration for women when lighting public spaces was a symptom of a broader issue. "Traditionally, we know that cities have been designed by men and for men," she said. "Women's voices haven't really been understood and included in the design process." She said Australia trailed behind countries like Austria, whose capital Vienna has used a decades-old model to engage women about how it should light the city. "That city has been able to track how that increased women's participation in public life, both in the daytime and in the night-time," she said. The city also offers personal safety classes for women. Regardless of lighting, the group of female runners in Adelaide say they just want to exercise in peace. "We're not coming out here to do anything but run for ourselves," runner Jen Saville said. "And until that message gets across — that it's not women who have to change their attitudes, it's men — I just don't see much changing."

Partnership Helps Municipalities, Farms and Industries to Deliver Community, Environmental and Sustainability Benefits. Senet, Inc. today announced a technology partnership with SimplyCity, an end-to-end IoT solution provider and systems integrator based in Australia.