<p><strong>[T]he volume contributes significantly to the furthering of studies into the realm of nocturnal urbanity and urban illumination. It provides an indispensable contribution to the study of nocturnal luminosity, and should indeed awaken the interest of any scholar or practitioner who engages in studies of light, darkness and cities.</strong> – <em>European Planning Studies, Casper Laing Ebbensgaard, Queen Mary University of London, UK</em></p><p><strong>[T]he chapters show that in some ways the history of lighting parallels the history of urban development. A lighting scheme can be the centrepiece of an urban regeneration project. Or mismanagement of lighting provision can be traced to colonial histories of unequal infrastructure distribution. As described in this edited volume, lighting illuminates both places and ideas. </strong>–<strong> </strong><em>Christine Ro, Environment & Urbanization</em></p>
Cities of Light is the first global overview of modern urban illumination, a development that allows human wakefulness to colonize the night, doubling the hours available for purposeful and industrious activities. Urban lighting is undergoing a revolution due to recent developments in lighting technology, and increased focus on sustainability and human-scaled environments. Cities of Light is expansive in coverage, spanning two centuries and touching on developments on six continents, without diluting its central focus on architectural and urban lighting. Covering history, geography, theory, and speculation in urban lighting, readers will have numerous points of entry into the book, finding it easy to navigate for a quick reference and or a coherent narrative if read straight through. With chapters written by respected scholars and highly-regarded contemporary practitioners, this book will delight students and practitioners of architectural and urban history, area and cultural studies, and lighting design professionals and the institutional and municipal authorities they serve.
At a moment when the entire world is being reshaped by new lighting technologies and new design attitudes, the longer history of urban lighting remains fragmentary. Cities of Light aims to provide a global framework for historical studies of urban lighting and to offer a new perspective on the fast-moving developments of lighting today.
Chapter 1: Istanbul Chapter 2: Boston Chapter 3: London Chapter 4: Paris Chapter 5: Mumbai Chapter 6: Buffalo Chapter 7: Los Angeles Chapter 8: Blackpool Chapter 9: Berlin Chapter 10: Sao Paolo Chapter 11: Lagos Chapter 12: New York City Chapter 13: Mexico City Chapter 14: Buenos Aires Chapter 15: Johannesburg Chapter 16: Los Angeles Chapter 17: Tokyo Chapter 18: Shanghai Chapter 19: Moscow Chapter 20: Vienna Chapter 21: Paris Chapter 22: Washington, D.C. Chapter 23: Sydney Chapter 24: Yilan Chapter 25: London Chapter 26: Derby Chapter 27: Hong Kong Chapter 28: Huangzhou Chapter 29: Berlin Chapter 30: Oulu Chapter 31: New York City