From 2002 – 2016, LUCI Commissions pursued projects or research addressing key issues in urban lighting:
International Solidarity Commission
Initiated by LUCI honorary members, the International Solidarity Commission aimed to bring support to developing cities on their urban lighting strategies and projects. Its main activities were to provide advice to cities that require it, and also to support the LUCI team in international cooperation projects. Beyond this, the Commission also contributed to LUCI’s reflection on initiating new actions aimed at supporting developing cities.
Sustainable Innovation Commission led by the City of Eindhoven
Within this Commission (previously named Sustainable Development Commission) Eindhoven proposed to share with LUCI members the knowledge developed within its EU projects on lighting, among which BLISS (Better Lighting for Sustainable Streets) which held its final event in 2014, and the ENIGMA project on pre-commercial procurement for cities. The Commission also continued to ensure the development of the LUCI / PLUS best practice database.
Commission on Light and Art led by the City of Gothenburg
The Light and Art Commission brought together 6 cities from LUCI. Its main objective was to help these cities learn from each other on the theme of light and art in the urban space. This was done through the exchange of experiences based on one identified project in each participating city. The objective of the Commission was to identify the issues that cities need to take into account when undertaking permanent light and art projects, and provide examples of solutions on how to bring art and light into the public sphere.
The Charter on Urban Lighting Commission led by the City of Leipzig
This Commission pursued the work on the LUCI Charter on Urban Lighting, which draws LUCI cities around certain common principles in urban lighting, while simultaneously emphasizing the network’s commitment to sustainable urban development. The Commission aimed to help signatory cities of the “LUCI Charter on Urban Lighting” evaluate the progress of their public lighting policies in regards to the principles of the Charter. A public lighting survey was elaborated in collaboration with Professor Alexander Schmidt from the University of Duisburg Essen (Germany). In 2013, almost 20 surveys were collected and the University made an analysis of this data and information. The results of the survey were presented at the AGM 2013 in Guangzhou.
Culture Commission led by the City of Glasgow
The Culture Commission explored the use of lighting to reinforce a city’s culture and history. It initiated, in cooperation with the Cambridge Policy Consultants agency, a research project to evaluate the economic and cultural benefits of light festivals for host cities through the analysis of case studies from all over the world. The Commission’s report, “The Economic and Cultural Benefits of Light Festivals” was released at the LUCI AGM in Gothenburg (Nov. 2011) and was the first step towards the development of a new LUCI resource base on light festivals which would allow LUCI cities to adopt a more consistent approach to evidence collection and impact assessment. As a result of this work, Light Festival Evaluation Toolkit was developed for the LUCI website. Access the toolkit here.
Commission on Tourism and Lighting led by the City of Chartres
Chaired by the City of Chartres, the LUCI Commission on Tourism and Lighting involved LUCI member cities in the realization of a publication in partnership with Atout France, the national promotional agency linked to the French Ministry of Tourism. The initiative aimed to identify the key factors that determine how a lighting strategy can contribute to the touristic development of a destination, and the resulting publication is a methodological guide for cities, with testimonies and case studies from all over the world. Learn more about the publication “Light as a tool for tourism development“
Urban Strategies Commission led by the City of Liege
Since 2009 the Urban Strategies Commission specifically focused on the social aspects of light: for example the relationships individuals establish with their environment, identifying what role lighting can play, and what impact it can have on the urban environment in constant evolution. The Commission, in partnership with the University of Liege (LEMA), worked on a publication aiming at defining this new concept and illustrating it through exemplary and innovative experiences. This publication, entitled “The Social Dimensions of Light” was presented during the City under Microscope in Liege in September 2011.
