Street light

Various examples of street lights

A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution became ubiquitous in developed countries in the 20th century, lights for urban streets followed, or sometimes led.

Detail of a street light from Paris
Detail of a street light with Cupid, at the Austrian Parliament Building (Vienna)

Many lamps have light-sensitive photocells that activate the lamp automatically when needed, at times when there is little-to-no ambient light, such as at dusk, dawn, or at the onset of dark weather conditions. This function in older lighting systems could be performed with the aid of a solar dial. Many street light systems are being connected underground instead of wiring from one utility post to another. Street lights are an important source of public security lighting intended to reduce crime.[1]

  1. ^ Chalfin, Aaron; Hansen, Benjamin; Lerner, Jason; Parker, Lucie (24 April 2019). "Reducing Crime Through Environmental Design: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment of Street Lighting in New York City" (PDF). Crime Labs: University of Chicago. Retrieved 29 October 2020.