Social interaction in public squares: the role of users’ environmental appraisals in daylight and after dark

Public squares are important spaces for social interaction, yet the influence of lighting on people’s experience and social interaction in such spaces after dark is poorly understood. This study examines users’ environmental appraisals and self-reported social interaction in two public squares in Sweden, comparing daylight with electric lighting after dark. The results show that perceived atmosphere is associated with self-reported social interaction in public squares after dark. In turn, perceived atmosphere can be attributed to users’ environmental appraisals of lighting quality, visual accessibility, and reassurance. It is argued that lighting design plays an important role in socially sustainable public squares.