The prestigious LIT Lighting Design Awards is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2021 Spotlight Prize, LUCI Association (Lighting Urban Community International).
The Spotlight Prize has been introduced in 2020 to reward and put the “spotlight” on an organization, association, project, or initiative that carries out remarkable work for its community and has a major contribution to the Lighting Industry.
Created in 2002 at the initiative of the City of Lyon (France), today, LUCI is a non-profit organisation bringing together over 70 member towns and cities worldwide that use light as a tool for social, cultural and economic development. It also includes over 50 associated members from the lighting industry, design agencies and research institutes.
“We are really delighted and honoured to receive the LIT 2021 Spotlight Prize. At LUCI, we strongly believe in city-to-city collaboration, exchange, learning and co-creation to improve urban lighting and quality of life in cities. As LUCI is about to turn 20 years young, this comes at a perfect time to recognize the Association’s contribution to the global urban lighting community!” said Mark Burton-Page, General Director of LUCI.
Through the organisation of international events and conferences, and by piloting lighting projects and research initiatives, LUCI helps cities harness the potential of light to create sustainable and people-focused urban spaces.
What are the core missions of LUCI and how it supports cities :
- LUCI is the international meeting place for cities: The LUCI network international online and on-site events – conferences, capacity-building workshops, field visits and networking sessions – bring together city lighting policymakers, professionals and experts to exchange experience and share user feedback and information.
- LUCI is a knowledge centre on urban lighting: LUCI publications and online resources share collective intelligence on urban lighting – highlighting innovative projects, best practices, and new trends – to help urban policymakers and practitioners develop effective lighting strategies.
- LUCI is a platform to build partnerships and projects: By piloting multi-lateral projects and research initiatives that explore the new facets and potentials of light, LUCI helps cities progress together towards more sustainable use of light for citizen-focused urban spaces.
- LUCI is the voice of cities: By creating spaces for cities to express their views, and by putting forward these views through international awards and advocacy documents such as the Charter on Urban Lighting, LUCI is the voice of cities on urban lighting at the global level.
Photo credit: EricFecken
LUCI Association activities, publications and events:
- Latest LUCI network event: LUCI Annual General Meeting 2021. A key event of the LUCI network, and the only international forum for cities on urban lighting, the LUCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) features plenary conferences, panel discussions and working group meetings on new urban lighting trends and projects worldwide. Held in October 2021 in Tartu, Estonia, the LUCI AGM 2021 brought together over 200 LUCI members and the urban lighting community in an unprecedented, one-of-a-kind, hybrid format. On the agenda were topics such as “Light and Light Art in Tartu”; the TAVA light festival; “Smart steps towards smart lighting”; and “Lighting in European Capitals of Culture”.
- Latest LUCI publication: Exploring City Nightscapes. LUCI recently published the book Exploring City Nightscapes which looks at how different cities across the world have created their luminous landscapes, or “nightscapes”. Featuring conversations with urban lighting decision-makers – from Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bologna, the City of London, Ghent, Geneva, Jyväskylä, Lyon, Rotterdam, Seoul, Shanghai and Strasbourg – the book explores their different approaches and common challenges. The digital version of Exploring City Nightscapes is available for free download on the LUCI website.
- Upcoming publication: Cities Guide to Smart Lighting. To help cities deal with developments in the realm of smart lighting, LUCI has produced the Cities Guide to Smart Lighting – a white paper from cities, for cities. It aims to help cities form their vision on smart lighting, choose their development paths, and support possible actions towards realisation. This concise guide includes insights and advice from city experts and provides concrete tips to support decision-making and action.
- Upcoming event: Lyon Light Festival Forum. The Lyon Light Festival Forum (LLFF), organised by LUCI in collaboration with the City of Lyon on 8-10 December 2021, will offer creative lighting professionals from around the world a unique space to explore new forms of creative lighting in the urban space. This year’s LLFF will explore how cities are involving children and young people in designing and establishing better lighting policies for public spaces. Cities, artists, designers & other lighting professionals are invited to attend the event, in-person or online!
- New project: Light & Art in Public Spaces (LAiPS). LUCI recently launched the Light & Art in Public Spaces (LAiPS) project. Co-funded by Creative Europe, the LAiPS project aims to strengthen city capacities on permanent light art installations in public spaces. The LAiPS project will create the Light & Art Lab – a platform combining site visits and peer-to-peer discussions to experience and exchange light art projects. It will also develop a new digital tool to promote knowledge and exchange of light art in the urban space.
- Also coming up: Celebrating 20 years of LUCI in 2022!
The year 2022 will be a special year for the LUCI network, which will be turning 20 years old – marking 20 years of connecting cities with light!
A series of special events all throughout the year will celebrate this with LUCI members and the international lighting community. - Celebrating 20 years of LUCI in 2022: “Sparking the future of urban lighting – LUCI 20 years gathering” on 2-5 March 2022 in Jyvaskyla, and Finland LUCI Annual General Meeting on 19 – 23 October 2022 in Busan, South Korea.
