Beneath the Bright Lights

Interesting hypothesis but not sure if I track the logic of the commentary. That is, if the lights were installed for public safety and people have taken to camping under the lights because they feel safer, then aren’t the lights serving their purpose?

I agree w/ Benjamin, I think the bright lights were meant to discourage homeless sleeping and use it for pedestrian safety.

I see the shift and dramatic reduction in # of homeless as possibly related to the police sweeps. I wrote a post about this (and included your excellent map link) at LAist: url

I live in the Arts District which has seen a significant change since the sweeps began. Whole sections of 4th/3rd at Alameda are empty, whereas before entire camps were assembled and never moved.

You’d think it would be harder to sleep over there with bright lights streaming into your tent. I guess you just pull the sleeping bag over your head and deal it. Some people also probably feel safer on that block because it’s right next to the Police station.

I believe that the lights were put up to keep the people from camping. It is difficult to sleep with bright lights. The city is doing their best to keep people from camping out. If the shelters did a better job and society did a better job we were not have this homeless problem. Then again maybe it is a by product of the capitalism society that we live in.

Well, sure it’s probably difficult to sleep under bright lights…but we are talking about HOMELESS PEOPLE. It’s not a, “should I put up blackout shades in my loft like cardboard box so I can get some beauty rest?” decision. I am sure living under a poorly lit underpass has its own sleep detriments. The problem is that many to most homeless have mental illness and nowhere to go. Thanks to well-meaning but misguided organizations like the ACLU and deinstitutionalization that happened in the 70’s, government can’t put these people in mental institutions or force them to get the help they need. And everyone plays NIMBY when it comes to halfway housing. So mentally ill often end up on the street. Sure, I know, not all homeless are mentally ill–but those are usually the ones that are able to find their way into shelters and help organizations. I wish our society would start getting honest about this issue–anyone who has lived in an urban environment knows that most of the homeless that you see sleeping on the streets or pushing shopping carts down the blvds have some sort of mental illness. The fact is, deinstitutionalization was a cop out and they way we treat mentally ill in this country is cruel.

The problem with the homeless in downtown was never the lack of resources available. As we know there has not been a tremendous increase in resources available now that was not available in the recent past; but downtown has seen improvements.

I noticed the bright lights recently and I think they make those areas of the city appear safer. Hopefully the lights will deter people from sleeping on the sidewalk and drug dealer from loitering. If so, better for pedestrians to walk unimpeded.

Additionally, if the effect is that the homeless stop sleeping on the streets they may be “forced” into the local shelters where they can receive proper bedding and comfort from the elements.

Hey Urban,

FUCLA. Fight on!

That said, I agree 100% with what you wrote. Our safety downtown is directly proportional to the number of bright lights we have. As far as it can help it, crime never wants to be exposed or revealed.