I received the latest edition of Cycling UK‘s on-line magazine and one article has caused a bit of a dichotomy for me. It was all about providing safer cycle routes in winter time, especially for women. A large percentage of women stop cycling when the days shorten, purely because they feel unsafe in dark places. I am all in favour of encouraging as many people to cycle and am fully supportive of providing safe places for everyone, especially women, to participate in it. I know places I can cycle, with a good set of lights, only a short distance from my home and out of the way of traffic and crowds. I also realise that not everyone feels able to use these places. As a man, I don’t have the same fear that many women do, of being attacked while I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I don’t think that this situation is fair and knowing that is caused by men, I am fully supportive of measures which can go towards correcting it.

But still, I can’t help being in two minds about it!

Parks and open spaces not only provide us with green spaces within and on the outskirts of cities, they also can be a haven for wildlife. They provide somewhere birds and animals can live alongside humans. If we light these spaces up “like a disco on wheels” as a quote in the article said, is this really a good thing? My worry is that the fauna will suffer and may even disappear from some areas within our cities. Are we in danger of destroying dark spaces and should some areas remain out of bounds for some of the time?

The article can be read here.