The Future of Urban Lighting

This article showcases six new types of streetlights that reduce energy use in very different ways.

1 minute read

May 1, 2009, 1:00 PM PDT

By franny.ritchie


"As objects, streetlights tend to recede into that dull tangle of structures that keep our towns and cities running smoothly. They generally aren't intended to draw any notice. But maybe its time to start appreciating the possibilities."

The designs showcased in the article include an off-the-grid solar-and-wind powered streetlight, lights that sense movement and adjust their intensity accordingly, water-powered lights, and, most ambitiously, a streetlight that mimics a flower, moving to shed the most light.

Thanks to Franny Ritchie

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 in The Infrastructurist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

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.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

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.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Canadian flag in foreground with blurred Canadian Parliament building in background in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Has President Trump Met His Match?

Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

March 11, 2025 - Toronto Star

Aerial view of Honolulu, Hawaii coastline at dusk.

Honolulu's Iwilei Center Plans for Redevelopment Into Mixed-Use Space

Striving to expand affordable housing options for Oahu residents, Honolulu's Department of Land Management requests to redevelop the Iwilei Center into a mixed-use space.

6 hours ago - Spectrum News

Orange Biketown bike share bikes parked at station on sidewalk in Portland, Oregon,

Biketown Lives

Despite public perception of its decline, Portland’s bike share system is alive and well.

7 hours ago - Willamette Week

Quiet tree-lined street in Stockholm, Sweden in summer.

‘Stockholm Tree Pit’ Saves Dying Urban Trees

After noticing that two-thirds of its trees were dying, Stockholm developed a new planting method to protect trees surrounded by concrete.

March 12 - Reasons to Be Cheerful