Morbihan Énergies and the Noz Breizh chair share the same environmental and societal ambitions around nocturnal temporality, the former with an economic and political focus, the latter with the requirements of university research.

The Noz Breizh chair aims to achieve scientific results by crossing disciplines and operational possibilities at different territorial scales.

With this in mind, a partnership has been signed with Morbihan Énergies, an Établissement public de coopération intercommunale, which works and invests in renewable energy to ensure the development of the energy and digital transition.

Since 2022, the chair's team of researchers has been studying Brest's territory and its night-time development strategy, using a holistic, multidisciplinary approach. 

In 2023, we extend our project to the Morbihan area so as to test a transposition of the methods and participatory approaches currently explored in Brest metropolitan area.

To that extent, a first step consists in an inventory of the specific territorial characteristics (regional planning, local policies, players, etc.) related to nightlife and night-time planning in Morbihan. 

The aim of this research is to identify the issues involved in managing public lighting at local authority level, and to understand the practices, representations and feelings of residents and users of public spaces at night. These topics are explored alongside students involved in AUDE/AUTELI workshops between October 2023 and April 2024.

These portraits of communes will enable us to move towards the implementation of research-action adapted to the issues shaping the territory and the needs of the players involved (local authorities, businesses, associations, citizens...). 

In 2024, the qualitative survey continues with semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Participatory events will also be organized for consultation and to raise exchange and awareness. The results of the survey will be used to identify ideas for future night-time planning. 

In collaboration with Morbihan Énergies, five municipalities were defined as case studies: Carnac, Crac'h, Guidel, Inzinzac-Lochrist and Séné. But for an overall understanding of the dynamics, the analysis requires a broader territorial consideration. Hence it will cover the Lorient agglomeration, Golfe du Morbihan - Vannes agglomeration and the Auray Quiberon Terre Atlantique community of communes. 

Taking into account the presence of the Golfe du Morbihan Regional Nature Park is also crucial, as it embodies a strong commitment to preserving biodiversity and ecological continuity. 

On the one hand, it supports local authorities in the implementation of dark ecological networks to reduce the effects of light pollution. On the other hand, actions are designed to inform and raise awareness among the general public of the issues surrounding artificial light. 

Results and outlook

Based on the assessment conducted in four municipalities—combining observations, interviews, and methodological experiments (notably through photo-elicitation interviews)—our initial findings reveal that residents have a generally positive relationship with the night, although variations exist depending on individual profiles and contexts. 

However, these perceptions contrast with limited nighttime activities, which are mainly confined to essential  trips or indoor activities. This discrepancy can partly be attributed to inadequate urban planning, a lackluster nightlife scene, and the perception of nighttime as a period of inactivity. 

Besides, conflicting expectations are revealed among residents in regards to street lighting, ranging from a desire to preserve the nighttime environment to specific safety needs related to urban planning. These findings underscore the importance of a localized approach to address light pollution, one that takes into account actual uses and varying patterns of activity over time. 

Ultimately, in these less urbanized areas, issues lie less in a “fear of night” than in the way night is socially and spatially organized. This initial research opens up interesting avenues for rethinking the territorialization of local policies related to night life.

Building on the work carried out by Lenaïg Salliou, now a PhD student, a LEADER grant is expanding Noz Bihan study to other municipalities in Pays d’Auray (2025–2026) under the supervision of Ronan Le Delezir, MCF at Université Bretagne Sud.

Posters

Citation : Chaire Noz Breizh (2024), Noz Bihan : l’étude de la nuit s’invite dans la Morbihan, présenté dans le cadre du colloque Smart Noz, Brest, 18-20 mars 2024