Posted by My lips cried out in pain as the ultra-hot coffee stung the nerve endings on my lips and tongue.
“We are about to meet with guys who are trying to sell us on exterior colored lighting for our downtown buildings,” the voice across from me said, rolling his eyes. His subtle eye roll and half-hearted gesture to the people at the adjacent table communicated his palpable lack of enthusiasm for the idea.
My brain was immediately transported from my current location in downtown Utica, New York to my hometown of Rochester, in which the aforementioned lighting has re-invigorated our evening skyline, invoking a sense of excitement in our previously dormant city center.
The dynamic and colorful accent lighting of our city buildings has been a relatively recent and tremendously popular injection a dreamy and enticing flurry of night time vibes in our downtowns. Historic architecture that inspires the onlooker by day can be seamlessly outfitted with exterior lighting that tantalizes the senses and sends the visual message that this is a place for enjoyment and entertainment.
Low Consequence
With the exception of relatively small lighting elements fastened to the exterior of any building, or even just at their base, there is zero impact to any iconic or historic structure. A simple installation can be the difference between appreciating a downtown during daytime hours and extending that visual captivation after the sun sets.
Nightlife Injector
Investing in the happiness of our urban populations while welcoming outlying communities back into the downtown environment is a key component to the future of our cities. Affixing dynamic lighting to iconic or historic (or any!) infrastructure creates a low-cost impression that a downtown is ready to receive anyone who is looking to have a good time.
Bang for the Buck
Just like accent lighting in a home or yard, the up-lighting or colorful accent lighting of our cities can add dimension without the costly woes of infrastructure upgrades. Sometimes highlighting what is already there has just as much visual, vibe-inducing impact as other far more costly upgrades. For this reason, cities that might not be able to afford major financial endeavors to lift a downtown narrative can create a level of nighttime excitement by simply highlighting their skyline.
Cleveland
On a recent trip to Cleveland, my wife and I were blown away by the use of lighting of all kinds to inspire the senses while accessing the streetscape.
Rochester
The colorful accent lighting in my midsized urban home of Rochester, New York is the perfect example of what lighting can do to raise the metaphoric eyebrows of the onlooker. Like a new urban wardrobe, or a downtown makeover, one can’t help but think of our city differently as people gaze upon its skyline.
No, lighting our downtowns won’t reduce crime (however by better lighting the streetscape, it could serve as a deterrent!). It won’t solve the issues of suburban sprawl or physically heal the scars of urban renewal. But it can be a low-impact first step, and a sort of Bat Signal to all who are looking for our cities to inspire us once again.