Research Information System
Urban Futures-Cultural Pasts: Sustainable Cities, Cultures&Crafts, Barcelona, Spain, 15 - 17 July 2024, no.40, pp.152-165, (Full Text)
Listed buildings, ruins, monuments, castles, gardens,
and sculptures are all places of memory that contribute to a city's identity
and its inhabitants' pride. Unfortunately, many of these sites were badly lit
at night for many years, with rigid fixtures that consumed much energy.
Urban lighting is defined in two ways. This; is functional
lighting, which is one of the critical factors for the safe sustainability of
urban life, and the other architectural lighting, which prioritizes urban
values to emphasize and perceive urban identity. Comprehensively designed
lighting master plans create an urban lighting system where modern lighting
techniques, appropriate standards, and conditions are provided, and unnecessary
energy use is minimized and constitutes one of the most important indicators of
the city's sophistication and high quality of life. Moreover, it is one of the
most important planning tools that not only provide the residents and visitors to
the city with visual comfort conditions but also allow them to live and share
common social values outside of daylight hours and make the city attractive.
This study examines
urban lighting criteria and purposes, and the importance and scope of the master
plan for adequate urban lighting are emphasized. For the field study, Fatih
District - Balat area has selected a neighborhood with exceptional history in
Istanbul. It is also on the list of UNESCO heritage sites, yet it is still a
region rarely visited by tourists. Therefore, a lighting design proposal was
developed for a specific area. When a city wants to enhance its heritage
through light, it is not simply a matter of “lighting at night” but rethinking
the historical buildings to integrate them into the urban fabric. Studying
Balat requires detailed analysis and zoning studies due to its cosmopolitan
identity and historical processes.
When executed with a well-designed framework, lighting cities
is an art that provides many social benefits: an increased sense of safety, a
strong sense of belonging to a community or city, and a lively urban
environment with must-see historical sites that reinforce character and attract the local population and tourists.
Key Words: Urban Lighting, Lighting Master Plan, Urban
Image, Urban Identity, Environmental Perception