Walk for Light: An Annual Community Event to Improve Campus Safety Using GIS Technologies
Hi All! My name is Ava Healy and I am a graduate student studying geography and GIS at UMass Amherst. I want to highlight an impactful event my university hosts each year that utilizes GIS solutions for campus safety called “Walk for Light.”. In part with Andrew-James Finn, we come together to share the details of this event in hopes to inspire your university to do the same!
Walk for Light at UMass Amherst is an annual event organized by Facilities and Campus Services to promote campus safety and accessibility. Started by the late Pam Monn, the event takes place each fall immediately after daylight savings time, when shorter days highlight potential visibility and safety concerns. Through the use of GIS technology, students, staff, and administrators walk through campus at night, identifying areas that may need improved lighting, tree maintenance, or repairs to reduce tripping hazards using ArcGIS Quickcapture. Participants use the mobile app to collect georeferenced data—such as points, photos, and attributes—with a single tap. The associated feature layer feeds directly into the Dashboard, which refreshes every five minutes to display near real-time participant activity.
But, of course, we recognize that something like this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Every campus has a different layout, campus structure, and may prioritize different things than UMass.
An Opportunity to Community Input
Daylight savings happens every November– in the middle of one of the most hectic times of students’ lives𑁋the end of the semester. Projects to work on and exams to study for, a change in the setting sun may throw off everyone’s sleep, leaving them feeling groggy and sluggish. On top of that, more students who have class until 5:30pm will be walking across campus when the sun has already set, leaving them to navigate in the dark.
The Walk for Light is an opportunity for the campus community—students, faculty and staff—to work together to identify safety-related issues on campus and document those concerns for repair or other appropriate follow up. These observations may include identifying areas of concern due to poor or broken lighting, overgrown trees or bushes that reduce lighting, broken railings or uneven steps, or other safety-related issues. A final report is then compiled and sent to the appropriate UMass Amherst departments for repair.
In a WWLP22 News interview, a member of Campus Police explained that the campus was not always as bright at night, but every year after the inception of the Walk for Light, UMass has improved drastically.
Integrating GIS Technologies
Using ArcGIS QuickCapture, participants document these issues in real time by taking photos that help update the university’s grounds and utility maps.
Routes were mapped out using ArcGIS StoryMaps, where they included turns, landmarks, and instructions on how to get around the selected route.
All of the photos and issues were mapped on an ArcGIS Dashboard. This tool created visual displays that present data in an easy-to-read form, some participants and stakeholders did not know about GIS technologies until AJ and I explained it to them. The issues that were reported were sent to this dashboard, which translated to a single screen for ease of understanding.
Getting Ready for the Event
As the event approached, we duplicated Dashboards, Webmaps, and Point Feature Layers from previous years to prepare.
The event organizers met weekly to finalize routes, share updates, and strategize ways to promote Walk for Light. Posters and email announcements were distributed to the student body and broader campus community to raise awareness and encourage participation.
Day Of
At 5:30pm, the 2025 Walk for Light started! Over 30 people showed up for the cause, all wanting to have a better, more sustainable, and healthier campus.
I spoke to several undergraduate students (pictured below), who all had a different reason for joining the walk for light. One student was trying to advocate for amber lighting around residential halls on campus, stating that amber lights helped by not impacting circadian rhythm or disrupting hormone balance. Another student explained that they are passionate about physical accessibility, as they need an assistive device to get to class, dining halls, and back to their dorm.
Once we got a good group of people together, we all circled around in the lobby of the Student Union and briefly discussed how to use the GIS Technologies. After answering some questions, scanning QR codes, and assisting in logging in, we began to split into 6 groups with about 4-6 members in each group!
Citizen Science
In addition to professional staff partners’ participation, multiple students from undergraduate and graduate courses took part in the annual Walk for Light. We asked the participants to download the ArcGIS Quick Capture app on their devices. This app lets individuals take photos of:
- Streetlights being out
- Areas that are too dark and need more lights
- Obstructions to paths such as trees, bushes, or uneven pavement
- Issues with stairs and handrails
The Quick Capture app automatically updated a base map in Dashboard with intervals every 5 minutes. Each report was geographically mapped on the dashboard, the darker the orange bubble is, the higher the number of reports of issues from participants. At the end of the night, facilities and GIS Staff Members are going through each of the points and creating a work order to get the reported issue solved.
Why is “Walk for Light” so important?
ADA Accessibility. According to the ADA, it is critical to maintain a smooth sidewalk surface free of obstructions because it helps to eliminate tripping hazards. This is important, especially for visually impaired pedestrians or persons using a wheelchair, cane, or other mobility assistance device. ADA Accessibility ensures that walking paths are easier to traverse for all users! When asked why they joined the effort, many students said they wanted to contribute to ADA compliance and make the campus more accessible for everyone. Several participants shared that they have accessibility needs themselves and view Walk for Light as an opportunity to help create a safer, more inclusive environment at UMass Amherst—continuing Pam Monn’s legacy of care and community engagement.
Student and Community Engagement. As much as the professional staff are passionate about this project, students and people who live on campus are the most impacted by the lack of light. Coming home from the library after studying late into the night and tripping over a broken sidewalk because you didn’t see it in the dark is never good. UMass Amherst students live on campus– this is their space where they live, work, study, and sleep. They should be able to be involved with the improvements of campus and have their voices heard in campus planning.
Campus Operations Improvements. Each year, Campus Operations GIS Interns enhance the Walk for Light initiative within the Grounds and Utilities Department, continually expanding the use of GIS in daily operations. This ongoing effort aims to integrate GIS technology into the everyday workflows of grounds and utility staff. Looking ahead, there are plans to install a live Dashboard in the Facilities and Campus Services building, providing real-time updates that help staff identify and address areas on campus that may need attention. In addition, the team is working toward implementing QuickCapture on all mobile devices so that grounds and utility workers can easily collect and report data while in the field.
Environmental Improvements. Light pollution is a serious issue– especially with UMass Amherst being in the middle of a very rural area. Light pollution from campus areas may irritate sleep patterns for growing students and the wildlife surrounding campus. In efforts to reduce the light pollution, the department has also upgraded nearly all outside lighting on campus with energy efficient LED light fixtures that conform to DarkSky’s Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting.
If you would like to get in contact with Ava Healy ((@AWildHealy)) and Andrew-James Finn, you can reach them through their emails avahealy@umass.edu and ajfinn@umass.edu and connect with them on LinkedIn: Ava M. Healy and Andrew-James Finn.