EURICE Successfully Concludes ENLIGHTENme Project: Groundbreaking Research on Urban Lighting, Health and Wellbeing

The ENLIGHTENme project, a pioneering European research initiative exploring the impact of urban lighting on human health and wellbeing, has officially concluded after four years of innovative work. Funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, the project brought together 22 partners from across Europe, uniting experts in public health, urban planning, lighting design, and social sciences. Launched in 2021, ENLIGHTENme aimed to investigate how artificial lighting in urban environments affects the physical and mental health of residents, particularly in vulnerable and ageing populations. Through an interdisciplinary approach and real-life urban lighting labs in Bologna (Italy), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and Tartu (Estonia), the project has delivered actionable insights and policy recommendations for healthier, more inclusive cities.

EURICE played a crucial role in leading the project’s communications. Beyond the overall communication ensuring project visibility and updating on general progress, EURICE’s work centred around the recruitment of participants for the population-based study and promoting the “Urban Lighting Labs” in the three ENLIGHTENme cities. Drawing on the project results, a dedicated campaign in the final months of the project raised awareness and provided practical recommendations about small but impactful lighting changes people can make to increase their wellbeing in their homes. The EURICE team also steered dissemination and exploitation activities to safeguard the translation of project findings into concrete recommendations and tools to enhance decision-making processes on policy level. A special emphasis was placed on engaging policy stakeholders and on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the policy related results to maximise their impact. “ENLIGHTENme has bridged the gap between science and city policy, enabling municipalities to better understand how both indoor and outdoor lighting influences health and wellbeing in their cities,” said Dr Patricia Alveen, Senior Innovation Manager at EURICE.

Key outcomes of the ENLIGHTENme project include:

• New evidence-based guidelines for urban lighting strategies that promote public health and wellbeing.
• Development of the ENLIGHTENme Platform to organise lighting-related knowledge and support users in making informed decisions for healthier, age-friendly cities.
• Enhanced citizen participation in lighting-related decision-making processes through a co-creation approach.
• Scientific publications and tools to inform future urban policies and research.

The project’s website - enlightenme-project.eu - will remain online as a repository of research findings, public deliverables, and knowledge materials to inspire ongoing dialogue on urban lighting, health and wellbeing.

As urbanisation and environmental challenges accelerate, ENLIGHTENme’s legacy will continue to shape healthier lighting practices in European cities and beyond.