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Placemaking with People and Light

In order to nurture social interaction, people and places should be connected throughout the city, even after dark.

Citizen participation and interaction are often major goals in the management of local public policies to enable a user-focused city. Urban lighting can help to foster social cohesion by concretely involving communities. Equal access to light contributes to bonding people and bridging gaps regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, religion, level of income, etc.

The working group entitled “Placemaking with People and Light” aims to reflect on how light can support community engagement, urban regeneration and placemaking processes.

At LUCI, we believe that light has a crucial role to play in shaping a good environment for all. It is an enabler of urban regeneration and social sustainability, and that it is a powerful and creative tool for citizen participation.

Created in: 2018
Led by: Glasgow City Council

Main objectives

In a context of rapid urbanisation, addressing social cohesion in public spaces for creating sustainable and inclusive cities, is fundamental. It involves producing quality public spaces that will ensure safe and enjoyable experiences for inhabitants. The group is working on how to make a darker city attractive and inclusive to support the creation of thriving communities. Convinced that light can be a potent tool for equitable placemaking, city members aspire to scale up thoughts and projects by sharing inspirational stories and good practices.

This working group continues to discuss and exchange about the importance of putting people at the centre of decision-making processes and involving citizens in placemaking projects through light. A report sharing case studies and good practices is planned for publication in 2024.

Working Group activities

2023

During the Annual General meeting in Jyväskylä (March), Martin Lupton and Sharon Stammers of Light Collective shared examples of how collective creation using light can be a successful method to connect people and lead to actual social change in a community.

Cara Courage, a global expert in placemaking, shared provocative and clarifying ideas while presenting placemaking projects from all over the world and linking them to light art during the LAiPS International Final Conference “Bringing Life to Public Spaces with Light Art” (November).