Indianapolis Installing New Streetlights for the First Time in 35 Years

Indianapolis officials including Mayor Joe Hogsett gathered this week to celebrate the installation of the city's first new streetlight in 35 years.

1 minute read

June 10, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Indiana State Capital

mmuenzl / Shutterstock

"Indianapolis will end a 35-year moratorium on new streetlights by installing 100 lights in areas with high accident and crime rates, and in growing neighborhoods," reports John Russell.

The new streetlights are a response to rising homicide rates in the city and calls by community leaders to make neighborhoods safer. The decision to invest in new streetlights as a public safety measure runs counter to the findings of a recent study published in the Journal of Epidimeology & Community Health, which found that streetlights do not deter crime.

Indianapolis, however, will rely on its own study, by Indianapolis Power & Light Co., to make the decisions about where to install the new traffic lights. The study will consider "crime statistics, population density and existing utility infrastructure…" The answer to the burning trivia question: the streetlight moratorium "was put in place in 1981 under former Mayor Bill Hudnut as a money-saving measure."

Thursday, June 9, 2016 in Indianapolis Business Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today