Light pollution has risen in recent years, mainly due to urban expansion, the proliferation of artificial lighting and the use of LED technologies, which allows to emit more light at the same cost. Artificial lights at night disturb many diurnal and nocturnal species alike, causing disruptions in dark-light cycles and reproductive, foraging and orientation behavior, among other issues.

Lighting at night also impacts human health, such as by disrupting people’s sleep cycles. However, debates around public lighting tend to be “all or nothing”—with residents’ needs on one side and those of biodiversity on the other—and revolve around urban lighting being turned off. The Montpellier Méditerranée conurbation emits light pollution that is potentially problematic due to its proximity to the Cévennes National Park.

In a study published in the journal Nature Cities, researchers conducted a spatial analysis of species’ needs for reduced light pollution and acceptance among urban residents of changing public lighting.