L. Public Safety and Lighting
Public Safety The UNK campus is known as a safe place and the reasons are multi-faceted. The campus location, setting, and its physical design are key factors. To further improve actual and perceived safety on campus, this plan recommends that the design of all new projects apply the philosophy of Campus Safety Through En- vironmental Design (CSTED). CSTED’s crime prevention philosophy is based on the theory that crime can be prevented when certain principles are applied to the design of the built environment. These principles include: Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control and Territorial Reinforcement, and Maintenance. The design of proposed places shown on the master plan such as “University Green” embraces these principles. Natural Surveillance occurs when people engaged in normal behavior are provided clear visibility of the surrounding exterior areas. Normal behavior includes the typical use of buildings and outdoor areas such as building entries and perimeters, campus pathways, and parking lots. Site design should ensure visibility in these areas by providing adequate lighting and minimiz- ing visual obstructions such as transformers, outbuildings, opaque fencing, and thick plantings. “Thick” plantings are those that have foliage bearing branches at a height that can obscure the view of another person or provide a hiding place. Therefore, trees or tall shrubs without foliage between 3 feet and 7 feet in height, are acceptable as are low plantings and groundcovers. Shrubs and trees with foliage or dense branches in this zone can be used in small groupings if they are set back from walkways and parking areas and there is clear visibility all around them. Natural Access Control and Territorial Reinforcement is provided when campus spaces have clear entry points and discernable boundaries, this creates a sense of ownership of the space for students. The flow in and out of a space should be controlled through the thoughtful design of entrances, exits, and borders. And the entry points should be clearly visible from the buildings and from points within the space during the day and night. Maintenance should further reinforce territoriality. Since uncared for areas can invite misbehavior, it is critical that the maintenance of buildings and grounds includes all locations on campus. Lighting The UNK campus appears to have a relatively high level of night lighting. Al- though a complete inventory of existing light sources and lighting levels has not been undertaken, most parking lots, building entrances, and pathways appear to be highly illuminated. The typical light fixture is a round “cutoff” fixture on a 16- foot pole with a high-pressure sodium lamp. They are installed at similar spacing along the most heavily used pathways. Internal roads and parking lots are illumi- nated by cobra head fixtures on poles over 25 feet in height and by area flood- lights, both have high pressure sodium light sources. Ground-mounted floodlights, also with a high-pressure sodium light source, illuminate special elements such as the Founders Quadrangle Bell Tower and the flagpoles located around the central fountain. A range of lighting types including exterior fluorescent and high-pressure sodium illuminates building entrances. Surrounding roadways are illuminated by cobra head fixtures on poles over 25 feet tall, with high-pressure sodium lamps. Night lighting generally has three purposes, functionality, safety, and aesthetics. A brief review of the current lighting provides the following analysis and recommen- dations.
Standard Bench
Moveable Table
Existing UNK Night Lighting
Functionality Most key pathways, building entrances, roads, and parking lots are illuminated. A complete review of the campus should be undertaken to determine locations that are not served by night lighting as well as the levels of night lighting in all areas. Following the review, recommendations should be provided for locations that re- quire additional lighting as well as locations that are over-lighted. Current fixtures include glare shields that help reduce, but do not eliminate glare from the light source. Safety Visibility is the goal for night lighting, especially visibility of people and the sur- roundings. Both the immediate lighting of the location and the ambient light levels of the surroundings affect nighttime visibility. The color temperature of the light source and the uniformity of the lighting also play an important part. A site lighting survey should be conducted to determine light levels and maximum to minimum lighting ratios in key locations. Based upon a review of current exte- rior night lighting standards such as those of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and a review of the ambient light types and levels throughout and surround- ing campus, an ideal light type and level should be selected. Aesthetics Factors critical to making aesthetic recommendations are the lighting of landmarks, buildings, and artwork; the fixture types and appearance; the light sources; and light levels. Adding lighting that beautifully illuminates the key existing and pro- posed landmarks, bridges, buildings, and artwork is a goal of this plan. Fixtures for performing this function should have a white light source, bronze housing color, and be selected for performance and durability. The standard round cutoff fixture will remain the campus pedestrian light standard but will be fitted out with a new white LED light source. Multiple headed standard cutoff fixtures should be limited to the double fixture style. The lantern style fixtures on the “Main Street Bridge” are not compatible with other campus fixtures and should be replaced. Changing out the light source on all exterior lights to white LED, with a Kelvin color temperature close to 3,000 degrees, will make a significant aesthetic improvement. It will pro- vide a truer color rendition and should reduce the required lighting levels, which will in turn reduce the number of required fixtures. The current high light levels seem to create sharp contrasts and deep shadows thus distorting nighttime vision. Providing more even illumination at a lower lighting level using a white LED light source is the goal for improvements to campus landscape lighting.
Special Bench
Moveable Chair
Dual Trash Receptacle
Pathway Edger
Ash Receptacle
Railing
Bicycle Racks
Picnic Table
Pedestrian Light
Bollard
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Chroma Design Inc.
University of Nebraska - Kearney Campus Landscape Master Plan
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