The INTERREG IVC funded project PLUS (Public Lighting Strategies for Sustainable Urban Spaces) briefed European policy makers on sustainable lighting on the 28th of September 2011 in Brussels.

The partner cities of the PLUS project briefed key European decision makers, representatives of civil society and project partners on the progress being made in exchanging European sustainable lighting initiatives and best practices.

This conference, the project’s first Brussels Briefing, featured best practice presentations by elected representatives from the cities of Leipzig and Sofia as well as a presentations  by sustainability experts,  Elke den Ouden, Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology and Dr Dorothea Seebode, a specialist on sustainable innovation.

The Deputy Mayor of Sofia, Mr. Lyubomir Hristov, provided an insight into the ways in which the City of Sofia is adapting and using their lighting to make the city safer, provide more sustainable cycling routes, extend opening hours for businesses and extend recreational opportunities. The city will host a visit by European experts on the 27th and 28th of  February 2012 when they will look in more detail at the best practices of the city and ways in which the existing city lighting strategy can be further improved.

The City of Leipzig, represented by Mr. Siegfried Schlegel, Leipzig City Councillor, presented the “Intelligent City Lighting” project. The advances being made by Leipzig in reducing the carbon footprint were acknowledged by the audience. They particularly appreciated the ways in which modern LED lighting is being installed into the historic core of the city. The city will host a visit by European experts on the 16th and 17th of January 2012.

Launched in October 2010, PLUS capitalizes on existing urban lighting best practices in European cities. The project helps cities develop their lighting policies and strategies in order to implement energy efficient lighting solutions. The Municipality of Eindhoven is the initiator and lead partner of this two-year project in which 11 cities across Europe as well as LUCI participate.

Go to www.luciassociation.org/plus for more information