Re-thinking public spaces at night through the plurality of nocturnal experience: a case study of Liberdade Square, Brazil

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Abstract
This paper discusses public spaces at night, analysing how urban lighting and its gradations of light and darkness affect experience. Urban lighting has been questioned in relation to sustainable and perceptual aspects of the night. Drawing on a methodology that explores the singularities of the nocturnal experience, this paper traces relationships between the practices of subjects and aspects of lighting identified in the Liberdade Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The findings suggest perspectives for designing public spaces at night, regarding the plurality of the experience, revealing deviations from the usual practices in Brazil regarding the lights of the city.
Funding Information
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Programa de Excelência Acadêmica – PROEX)
  • CAPES (Programa de Excelência Acadêmica – PROEX)