"A Brighter Future?"

More and more cities have been replacing the regular lights in light poles with LED's for more efficient energy saving way before the technology proved to work.

However efficient this switch may appear, it is a big investment that could trigger less lit streets and the cut down on light poles in other areas of the city. The approach has also already been adopted in parking garages in North carolina and Haitian villages in Alaska. 

On an environmentally responsible note, the concept proves successful with several points, such as boosting cost savings as the lights can be dimmed to save energy as well as produce street flashes (triggered by a 911 operator) for emergency responders in case of trouble. In addition the lights also have the design and aesthetic advantages as more people tend to appreciate the crystal-like blue light. Recently the LEDs have met the appropriate requirements to be integrated into the city traffic's infrastructure and have been improved to move the light "towards the street and away from the sky",  preventing more car accidents.

With the "soft white color temperature" of the lights the perception of the colors during the day has been changed for the people of Alaska. This introduces a transformation of the quality of light as well as cuts down the energy by 50% ( in Michigan). The general response to lights was that they appear more light and safer. And because the human eye is more active when its dark, we see better in white light. Therefore, the Alaska citizens who are exposed to less than 8 hours of sunlight per day experience colors in a stronger way. This appears as a great compromise on saving energy and cutting costs as well as a new way of redesigning light and its perception to fit the needs of the urban environment that we live in.

Design Futures.

ref, Metropolis magazine 08 Dec, www.metropolismag.com