The London School of Economics Configuring Light research group and LUCI, the international network of cities on urban lighting, along with Osram, have launched the joint research project "Pathways to Municipal Smart Lighting". It aims to show how municipalities worldwide understand intelligent lighting, how the topic fits into visions and plans for the urban future of towns and cities and how smart lighting can be realised within the framework of specific public policies.
Smart lighting points to convergences of infrastructure, data and control, with potentials of efficiency, cost savings and improvements in the quality of life. However, “smart” means radically different things to municipalities and their stakeholders across the world – different technologies, development strategies, governance policies.
Through a global city survey and detailed case studies of five selected municipalities, the project will explore how different cities and towns are managing policy, implementation and governance of smart lighting. It will clarify the motives, objectives and expectations driving the demand for smart lighting, compare challenges and opportunities for cities worldwide, and provide information on which strategic routes municipalities will follow in the future with their intelligent lighting.
The Configuring Light research group – initially located within LSE Cities and now LSE Sociology ‐ will be carrying out design and realisation of the research project, the results of which are intended to be presented at the LUCI Annual General Meeting in November 2018.