John Barber laments cities' tendency to (rightfully) favor environmental consciousness over aestheticism. Low-carbon street lighting is the latest eco-trend to retrofit, and potentially blight, the streets of Toronto.
"But you never know: Traditionalists frustrated the first green-inspired assault on the old acorn [luminaire, the traditional Toronto street light] back in the 1990s, when the case against it was even stronger than it is today.
At the time, the old city of Toronto was the only municipality anywhere still lighting its streets with grossly inefficient incandescent bulbs, which it kept for mere aesthetic reasons: Its streets at night were uniquely gorgeous, and the only efficient alternative at the time - sodium-vapour lights - were then and remain hideous.
With the greens barking for efficiency, the old city pioneered its own disruptive technology: Traditional acorns powered by metal-halide lamps giving off a bright, white light. Tests showed that the new-old rig outperformed all the latest technology available at the time. Installed widely throughout the central city, the metal-halide acorns still manage to recall the soft-lit romance of yore.
But LED lighting is more efficient still, renewing demands for change. And the old Toronto, in which aesthetics sometimes mattered, is a long-forgotten conceit."
FULL STORY: Against the environmentalist, aesthetes have no hope
How Effective Street Lighting Improves Women’s Mobility
A lack of effective lighting in streets, parks, and transit stations limits the places where many women and other vulnerable groups feel safe traveling at night.
D.C. Residents Fight Light Pollution
New LED lighting has raised concerns about the health and environmental impacts of excessive or harsh lighting.
Pittsburgh Becomes First 'Dark Sky' City in Eastern U.S.
As evidence showing the benefits of dark skies builds, Pittsburgh becomes the first eastern American city to enact a dark sky policy.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research