Strapped for cash, cities across the US have decided to save money by turning off street lights. An investigative series documents the effect of all those darkened lights on crime and economic development in San Diego - home to a $30 million backlog.
"Street lights aren’t just lights," writes Stan Alcorn. "They’re supposed not only to reveal the potholes and parking meters that would otherwise be in the dark, but also to change what’s there. Specifically, they’re supposed to reduce crime."
An investigative series in the Voice of San Diego, examines "the relationship between street lights and crime and economic development and why they exist or don’t in certain neighborhoods.”
"As a first step they’ve taken a few stories of San Diegans in the dark," says Alcorn. "From this anecdotal sample, what happens is a mix of falls, scares and actual crime."
Read the full story: Documenting San Diego’s Disturbing Lack Of Street Lights
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
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If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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