Juhani Pallasma asserts that the architecture of our contemporary society favours vision to the detriment of the other senses, creating a sense of detachment, and that “buildings have turned into image products detached from existential depth and sincerity.” How does this detachment influence how people operate in public space? Can lighting design begin to repair this detachment in favour of a built environment that encourages recognition and identification with public space?

Through conducting research in different areas of urban planning, sociology and reference to design projects and the changing face of the modern city, this paper seeks to study the intricacies of people in public spaces and determine how lighting design can contribute to enhancing how we experience it. Research is paired with a case study of a public space in Brooklyn, New York and a design is proposed that has been informed by a theoretical background and observations of the space.