City planners, developers and design professionals regard evening and nighttime hours as critical for master planning, cultural diversity and economic agendas. However, most city-makers sense a lack of best practices and competencies where it comes to the darkened hours.
This post reprises our clients’ key questions, areas of concern and opportunities for nighttime design and urban lighting.
NIGHTSHIFT | NIGHT PLACE
View Leni’s presentation for the 3rd International Conference on Night Studies. The annual conference focuses on frontier research, artistic works and practices in urban night studies. Leni connects Shades of Night with proven community engagement methodologies.
Her conclusion: "Night-shifters, indeed all people, deserve creative design for safety and inspiration. It is time to co-design the darkened hours during city revitalization projects."
D.I.Y. LIGHTING
This video documents a presentation to the London Mayor's 24/7 Team in 2022. Urbanist, designer, artist, Leni Schwendinger, describes the ways economical, festoon lighting, or fairy lights, act as nighttime markers enhancing walkability.
In this talk, she reviews the improved legibility and perceptions of safety while activating and brightening up main street.
GLOBAL NIGHTTIME RECOVERY PLAN
Strategies for nightlife and life at night, can holistically increase access and mobility to entice citizens back to city centers.
This chapter addresses issues in 3 key sections:
Activation of streets and urban spaces during the nocturnal hours
Foregrounding the undervalued yet critical role of illumination
Developing inclusive approaches to movement around our cities after dark
AS DEMAND FOR OPEN SPACE SOARS, NEW YORK GETS A PUBLIC REALM CZAR
Leni Schwendinger Light Projects’ client, Carey King, executive director, Uptown Grand Central, is featured in this New York Times article. Her heroic perseverance to secure functional lighting for the East Harlem Plaza under the Park Avenue viaduct.
The untold story is visible in the photo. Uptown Flash, a D.I.Y light-art canopy, now brightens and cheers the once dismal after-dark (and daytime) space.
Ms. King’s crusade typifies the bureaucratic route that will now be facilitated by NYC’s newly appointed public realm manager, Ya-Ting Liu.
