A proposal for the future of urban lighting: rethinking night shades

Abstract

Nowadays light plays a vital role in our daily life. I believe that enlightenment is fundamental for our existence, since it is linked to cultural, economic, social and political aspects of our global society. More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities and the United Nations estimates that this figure will increase to 70% by 2050 (UN, 2018). Although the trend we are facing is the growing migration to the city, the answers we have been giving to the phenomenon of urbanization has not been up to the task, we are not exploiting the maximum potential of the cities. When night falls, the city shuts down, activity decreases and commercial and office premises close their doors, which means that activities in the public spaces of the urban centers fall. The night presents new challenges for cities around the world, whether for reasons of safety or lack of visibility or attraction. Although the urban transformation of the last 20 years has been overwhelming, this has not been taken into account with real importance. The main motivation of this project is to give a comprehensive approach to strategic planning and lighting design for the night. A holistic approach to urban lighting could help create attractive, safe and inclusive places for the entire population. Urban lighting must be rethought beyond a functional element for the safety or visibility of the city, it must be recognized as an opportunity and fundamental solution to improve the quality of life of urban citizens. Considered correctly, lighting can positively impact the overall design of our cities, reinforcing urban design. The main focus of the project is urban lighting as the tool through which cultural experiences can be enhanced and social interaction encouraged. At present, there is an infinity of technological resources that have opened a wide range of opportunities to innovate in the area of lighting. However, despite technological innovations, such as LEDs, I believe that the future of urban lighting can be more exciting and must be in direct relation to the needs of the population. The cities that serve the population are understood as complex interactive systems. Urban lighting is not the end in itself; but it is a means by which we can improve the conditions of habitability of the city by improving its social and economic dynamics. The objective is to propose a planning and design approach for urban lighting focused on the real needs of the user, through new interactive technologies.