Urbanie & Urbanus

Dusk till Dawn The lighting path for smart and sustainable street

Yinghui Jiang

Master of Science in Urban Design and Trasport, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong

and  Barry D Wilson

FHKIUD . FHKILA . FCABE . CMLI . HKRLA . HKICAdj
President HKIUD
Adjunct Assistant Professor - University of Hong Kong
Panel of Arbitrators - SCIA(HK) . SCIA . HIAC

Abstract

Lighting is an indispensable component of the urban environment at night. However, most lighting standards primarily focus on illuminating highways, often resulting in uneven or poor-quality lighting in pedestrian areas. This study aims to provide smart lighting solutions to support smart and sustainable city development in Hong Kong Island. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, including a user perception survey focusing on five key indicators, field investigations such as activity mapping and illuminance mapping, and an analysis of the relationship between lighting performance and cost. The findings from the site analysis provide a reference for optimizing the space-time distribution of light. The overall design strategy, "smart lighting plus opportunities," seeks to replace traditional lampposts with ground-level smart lighting that can provide adaptive and high-quality illumination. The short-term design involves replacing some sidewalk blocks and placing utility modules underground, while the long-term scenario focuses on pedestrianizing the street through road surface reconstruction and developing underground utility systems. The study can inform design and planning strategies to optimize public lighting, therefore contributing to enhancing the quality of life and supporting smart and sustainable development in Hong Kong.