Lighting of modern cities is a new direction in the social and architectural terms of their development. The industry is developing rapidly in the 21st century. Every year new technological solutions emerge. Today we are talking about trends in urban lighting with leading industry experts.

1. What new technologies are used in modern urban lighting?
There are various control systems are being introduced in modern urban lighting. They are based on sensors or programmed scenarios. Also, there are lamps with the ability to dim and change color there. We can see the implementation of Smart City tools; smart poles are used that integrate the functions of lighting, video surveillance, sound broadcasting, Wi-Fi, and data collection through various sensors.

2. What benefits have these new technologies brought to urban lighting?
The most important advantage that lighting control system provides is the flexibility that allows to:
1) use the same equipment to implement different lighting scenarios (everyday and holiday, evening and night, etc.), as well as dynamic lighting changes as an expressive artistic effect; at the same time, energy saving are achieved by reducing the number of luminaries, as well as visual cleanliness of the space, not cluttered with various types of lighting equipment which are not for daily use.
2) change the luminous flux of luminaries depending on the level of natural light, the presence of people, or in accordance with the scenarios (for example, reduce the luminous flux at night), which reduces energy costs and reduces light pollution.
3) control systems allow to quickly identify problems with equipment (failure, incorrect operation) during operation and solve them.

3. What problems do exist in the field of urban lighting and how can they be solved with the help of new technologies?
In most Russian cities, the main problems of urban lighting are related to the use of outdated and broken equipment, the lack of a unified approach to lighting at the level of the city government and, accordingly, quality control of lighting solutions. I think that the solution to these problems should be based on a changes at the structural level of urban lighting management: the creation of regulations, master plans, design codes and control over their implementation; the professionalism and responsibility of all participants in the process of creating lighting solutions also plays an important role. Even just a simpple modernizing lighting, including replacing outdated devices with modern, reliable LED lamps with high-quality design and installation, would already improve the quality of the lighting environment in Russian cities.

4. What changes have occurred in urban lighting design recent years?
In my opinion, there is a trend towards more integrated approach to urban lighting: lighting master plans for cities, individual districts and micro districts are appearing; when designing buildings and residential complexes, landscaping of the surrounding area is being developed and requests for a single solution for outdoor lighting (functional, landscape and architectural) are emerging). Also, against the backdrop of the “green” building standards, ideas of moderation (in terms of power and quantity of equipment) and concerns about reducing light pollution are gradually being introduced into lighting.

5. What trends are observed in the use of eco-friendly and energy efficient light sources?
LED light sources are used everywhere, gradually displacing sodium and metal halide sources in city streets in the process of modernizing lighting. There are LED lamps are used in new construction now; you can hardly find old ones in the range of equipment manufacturers. LEDs are being improved: their spectrum becomes more complete, which improves color rendering and visual comfort; luminous efficiency increases, which allows the use of devices of lower power.

6. What factors do influence the choice of lighting type for a particular area or street?
A district and a street are different scales of urban spaces, so the approaches to choosing lighting are different.
A street is part of a district, a linear space. The main factors that must be taken into account choosing lighting for it: the purpose and category of the street (pedestrian or automobile; road width, traffic intensity, number of lanes, the presence and width of sidewalks, bicycle paths), the presence of green spaces, the style of development, the functional purpose of buildings, forming the street (residential, public, residential with public premises on the ground floor), the presence of recreation areas and solutions for their improvement. If we talk about architectural lighting, then it is also necessary to consider the architectural and urban composition and architectural features of individual objects.
A district is a more complex formation, where urban planning factors come to the fore: gradation of the transport and road network, number of stories, functional zoning of buildings and urban spaces, points of attraction, dominants, visual connections, etc.

7. What opportunities does modern urban lighting provide for creating atmosphere and improving safety in cities?
The concept of security can be divided into 3 components:
1) Visual readability of obstacles, traffic signs, etc. This is perhaps the only factor that light can directly influence. To achieve this, modern lighting equipment provides ample opportunities in the choice of optics, anti-glare accessories, and ensures high color rendering.
2) Criminality of the situation. The direct connection between lighting and crime rates has not been proven, but it can be said that the creation of high-quality urban public spaces, of which lighting is an integral part, encourages people to spend time there, and increases actual safety due to the presence of observers. This thesis has many “buts” that do not depend on lighting – for example, what kind of user population uses the environment, are overly crowded spaces safe, etc. But, in my opinion, you can rely on it with some degree of generalization.
3) Feeling of safety. High-quality landscaping creates an atmosphere of well-being, well-groomed, “habitable”, which gives a feeling of security. A lighting designer has a large selection of types of devices, optics, lighting colors, and the ability to create scenarios to create an atmosphere.

8. What are the requirements for urban lighting in terms of ergonomics and comfort for residents?
Lighting comfort requirements can be considered at several levels:
1) From the point of view of space perception, various types of lighting should be ordered, not creating visual chaos, which causes fatigue among pedestrians and drivers; the light should help you navigate in space and easily distinguish the necessary objects. Light levels must be balanced to ensure comfortable performance of necessary activities. It is very important to limit not only the minimum, but also the maximum levels of illumination, and to avoid light from the windows of residential premises.
2) At the level of perception of objects, lighting should help to correctly recognize them, read shape and color. For example, recognizing human facial expressions is very important for both comfortable communication and a sense of security.
3) At the luminaire level, it is necessary to consider the absence of glare (through the use of anti-dazzle accessories, power limitation, choice of optics, correct location and targeting of lighting devices), and flickering.

9. What strategies and plans have been done for the development and modernization of urban lighting in the coming years?
Lighting development and modernization programs are usually developed at the level of individual cities. For example, for St. Petersburg, a “Comprehensive program for the development of St. Petersburg as a center of Light Culture in Russia for the period 2018–2030” has been developed. with a perspective until 2050”, “Methodological materials and recommendations for the architectural and artistic design of the urban environment in terms of a comprehensive solution for lighting and festive decoration of the territory of St. Petersburg”.
Also, a lighting master plan for Perm was adopted relatively recently, and lighting master plans were developed for some northern cities. The Design Code for Arctic Settlements, published in 2022, also includes a small section with recommendations for urban lighting.
Unfortunately, information on the results of the implementation of these programs and documents is not available for publicly, so, it is impossible to assess their actual impact on the quality of lighting in cities.

10. What examples of successful implementation of modern urban lighting technologies can be named?
For me, an example of the development of lighting is Scandinavian cities, for which lighting master plans are actively being developed and, most importantly, implemented. Much attention is paid to environmental issues of light in the city. For example, the Swedish city of Malmö is actively implementing sustainable development standards and is a member of the European Network of Green Capitals, the continent’s most innovative cities in the fight against climate change. In 2022, local authorities installed lighting on one of the city’s highways that will not only save energy, but also protect the environment without compromising road safety. In addition to being highly energy efficient and made from recyclable materials, the luminaires themselves are integrated with a control system that allows the light level to be adjusted in accordance to road traffic. Late at night and at low traffic density, the luminous flux and color temperature of LEDs decrease from 3000K to 2000K. This provides excellent visibility when roads are busy, while significantly reducing light pollution when no one is around to preserve biodiversity and the night sky.
In the future, data collected from luminaires could be used to program lighting so that it adapts to traffic conditions in real time.