In the context of rapid urban growth and changing needs of city dwellers, efficient lighting is becoming a key element of a comfortable urban environment. Master planning of urban lighting not only improves the visual appeal of public spaces, but also plays an important role in ensuring safety, sustainability and improving the quality of life.

Svetlana Kolgushkina, lighting designer at QPRO, PhD, lighting quality researcher, answered questions from the professional publication Sovremennaya Svetotekhnika (Modern Lighting Design) on the topic of master planning:

What are the key principles of urban lighting master planning that you consider most important?The most important stage is the preliminary analysis of the city and its planning structure, as well as the identification of objects whose illumination in the evening can highlight the unique features of the place. The key principle is the rational distribution of resources, since a comfortable and memorable urban environment in the evening is determined not by the number of illuminated objects, but by the quality of the implemented engineering solutions. The level of light pollution increases with an excessive increase of illuminated objects in the city. Therefore, maintaining a balance between the amount of lighting necessary to form a memorable image of the city and sufficient to create a sense of safety for residents is a key task.

How do you see the role of sustainability in lighting master planning?
Sustainable development in lighting design requires an integrated approach that considers the environmental, economic and social aspects in order to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.
Urban lighting in the concept of sustainable development is considered not only from the standpoint of aesthetic and functional requirements, but also from the point of view of minimizing the negative impact on the environment, emphasizing the importance of preserving natural resources and ecosystems for future generations by reducing pollution, preserving biodiversity and using resources efficiently. Regarding lighting master planning, this aspect has great potential for further rethinking from the point of view of the city as a system and the functioning of lighting in it, since the distribution of resources at the moment is not always carried out rationally and the excess of lighting increases every year.

How do you rate the importance of citizen and government participation in the lighting design process?
Involving residents in the lighting planning process can help to consider their needs and preferences, making the city more community-oriented and responsive, as lighting should create an atmosphere that encourages people to interact with the urban environment and encourages active use of public spaces in the evening.
Involvement in the design process, so-called co-design, is an important tool for quality solutions. This approach can contribute to the organization of local events to raise awareness of the quality of lighting design. Integrating the principles of participatory design into lighting design processes can facilitate the realization of projects in accordance with the demand of local residents and taking into account the peculiarities of the urban infrastructure of a particular area. In this case, the solution becomes more individualized rather than uniform. Such activities, which explain to residents the improvements that will affect them, should be carried out in conjunction with architects proposing changes to the improvements.