Improving light for the night Reflection on the determination of guideline for lighting in urban planning

Schaack, Valerian Joackim William

4. Term

Lighting Design

2015

2015-06-01

Denne specialeafhandling undersøger, hvordan lys kan integreres som et bærende element i byplanlægning for at styrke funktion, identitet og trivsel i byens rum om natten. Udgangspunktet er en teoretisk kortlægning af centrale temaer i den natlige byoplevelse—herunder sundhed, sikkerhed, velbefindende, naturskånsomhed, rumlig identitet, forbindelser, wayfinding, skala, bæredygtighed og social udvikling—som munder ud i tre overordnede designparametre: funktion, identitet og komfort. Metodisk kombinerer afhandlingen et litteraturstudie med gennemgang af tre offentlige rum (Nørreport Station, Israels Plads og letbanestationer i Lyngby), hvor intelligent belysningsdesign er knyttet til positive effekter på nattelivet. Casene bruges til at afprøve og kvalificere de tre parametre som vurderingskriterier. På den baggrund foreslår afhandlingen retningslinjer for bybelysning, der fokuserer på social funktionalitet, urban identitet og komfort (inklusive velvære og bæredygtighed). Konklusionen er, at god bybelysning ikke kan reduceres til standardkrav alene; i stedet bør den baseres på en fælles, parameterbaseret kerne, som kan tilpasses forskellige brugere og stedlige kontekster.

This thesis explores how light can be integrated as a core component of urban planning to enhance function, identity, and well-being in urban spaces at night. It begins with a theoretical review of key aspects of the nocturnal city—covering health, safety, well-being, environmental considerations, spatial identity, connectivity, wayfinding, scale, sustainability, and social development—and synthesizes them into three overarching design parameters: function, identity, and comfort. Methodologically, a literature review is combined with an examination of three public spaces (Nørreport Station, Israels Plads, and light rail stations in Lyngby) where intelligent lighting design has been associated with positive impacts on night-time urban life. These cases are used to test and refine the parameters as assessment criteria. Based on this, the thesis proposes urban lighting guidelines centered on social functionality, urban identity, and comfort (including well-being and sustainability). It concludes that effective urban lighting cannot be defined by standards alone; instead, a shared, parameter-based core should guide context-sensitive design responsive to different users and places.

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