Urban Lighting, Light Pollution And Society

Synopsis

After Decades In The Shadows, Urban Lighting Is Re-emerging As A Matter Of Pubic Debate. Long-standing Truths Are Increasingly Questioned As A Confluence Of Developments Affects Lighting Itself And The Way It Is Viewed. Light Has Become An Integral Element Of Place-making And Energy-saving Initiatives Alike. Rapidly Evolving Lighting Technologies Are Opening Up New Possibilities, But Also Posing New Challenges To Planners. And Awareness Is Growing That Artificial Illumination Is Not Purely Benign But Can Actually Constitute A Form Of Pollution. As A Result, Public Policy Frameworks, Incentives And Initiatives And Undergoing A Phase Of Innovation And Change That Will Affect How Cities Are Lit For Years To Come. The First Comprehensive Compilation Of Current Scientific Discussions On Urban Lighting And Light Pollution From A Social Science And Humanities Perspective, Urban Lighting, Light Pollution And Society Contributes To An Evolving International Debate On An Increasingly Controversial Topic. The Contributions Draw A Rich Panorama Of The Manifold Discourses Connected With Artificial Illumination In The Past And Present - From Early Attempts To Promote New Lighting Technologies In The Late 19th And Early 20th Centuries To Current Debates On Restricting Light's Excessive Usage In Public Space And The Protection Of Darkness. By Bringing Together A Cross-section Of Current Findings And Debates On Urban Lighting And Light Pollution From A Wide Variety Of Disciplines, It Reflects That Artificial Lighting Is Multifaceted In Its Qualities, Utilization And Interpretation. -- From Back Cover. The New Visibility Of Lighting : An Introduction / Josiane Meier ... [et Al.] -- Lighting Up The City : Perceptions And Practices. Introduction / Beate Binder ; Out Of The Dark : A Brief History Of Artificial Light In Outdoor Spaces / Jane Brox ; The Transformation Of American Urban Space : Early Electric Lighting, 1875-1915 / David E. Nye ; From Shakespearean Nights To Light Pollution : (artificial) Light In Anglophone Literature / Susanne Bach And Folkert Degenring ; Shedding New Light : Outdoor Illumination In Late Ottoman Istanbul / Avner Wishnitzer ; The Rich Potentialities Of Light Festivals : Defamiliarisation, A Sense Of Place And Convivial Atmospheres / Tim Edensor -- Dimming It Down : Lighting Conflicts And Regulation. Introduction / Nona Schulte-römer And Andreas Hänel ; Lighting Conflicts From A Historical Perspective / Ute Hasenöhrl ; Regulating Urban Lighting : Prospects For Institutional Change / Katharina Krause ; The Lighting Master Plan As An Instrument For Municipalities? A Critical Assessment Of Possibilities And Limitations / Dennis Köhler ; Regulating Light Pollution In Europe : Legal Challenges And Ways Forward / Martin Morgan-taylor ; Designating Dark Sky Areas : Actors And Interests / Josiane Meier -- Counting The Costs : Evaluating Light And Darkness. Introduction / Jürgen Meyerhoff ; The Economics Of Night-time Illumination / Merle Pottharst And Florian Wukovitsch ; Residents' Perceptions Of Light And Darkness / Anja Besecke And Robert Hänsch ; Improved Visibility Of The Night Sky : An Economic Analysis / Ken Willis ; The Value Of The Night Sky / Terrel Gallaway ; Night Lights : An Indicator Of The Good Life? / Paul C. Sutton And Christopher D. Elvidge -- Towards A Brighter Future? Conclusions For Lighting Research And Policy / Dietrich Henckel And Timothy Moss. Edited By Josiane Meier, Ute Hasenohrl, Katharina Krause, And Merle Pottharst. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.