The future of urban lighting - Creative and intelligent solutions to support and enhance social life in cities

Following a phase in which urban functions such as living, working, shopping and leisure were treated separately in our cities, the current trend is to return to a mix of all these activities, both in downtown areas as well as in the suburbs. This means the public realm will be used more consistently around the clock, which in turn will lead to an increased need for appropriate lighting solutions outside daylight hours.
Urban lighting in the form of master plans with illuminated landmarks and purposefully designed lighting for traffic and circulation areas is due to be complemented by light-related factors that relate to human scale and well being at night time. Besides the need for safety – shady characters shy away from light – these include the effort to design public spaces so they are more attractive and promote social life in the urban realm. The social component is a driving force in the process to make the public realm feel safe and good to use after dark, and therefore needs to be taken into consideration. Interactivity and smart lighting can be used to support this move. Human-oriented lighting design of the future in the urban context, taking the City of Paris as an example.