As urban lighting becomes an increasingly essential component of town planning, and a major element of a city’s identity, Philips and LUCI (the Lighting Urban Community International association) are to invite cities all over the world to celebrate their enhancement of urban living by launching the eighth annual international city.people.light awards.

Urban lighting can give a city a night-time beauty to match or even compete with its daytime image. At the same time, changing the urban landscape after dark through lighting can redefine the relationship between a city and its inhabitants.

The city.people.light awards set out to recognize the efforts cities and towns make to ‘rehumanize’ their environments, applying the medium of light for the well-being of those who live, work, visit or do business in a city or town. Awards are given to cities which best integrate an appreciation of contemporary urban living needs with the notions of ‘city’, ‘people’ and ‘light’ in a coherent lighting strategy.

“The international city.people.light awards are a unique platform for municipalities and urban architects,” comments Marc de Jong, CEO, Professional Luminaires, Philips Lighting. “This is their opportunity to share with the world how they are enhancing the lives of their citizens through the creative and sustainable use of light.”

The city.people.light awards process
The awards are presided over by an international and independent six-person jury comprised of leading lighting architects, lighting designers and municipal lighting managers. The jury deliberates on a number of criteria, including how a lighting project adds to the cultural, architectural heritage and commercial life of a city, its night-time identity and its environmental contribution.

Entries for the 2010 city.people.light awards must be received by June 30, 2010, with the first, second and third-placed prizes being presented at a ceremony in Chartres, France, during the Annual LUCI Forum in September. The overall winning project will receive a trophy and a cheque for Eur 10,000.

Since its 2002 launch, the awards have run the rule over 141 urban lighting projects. First prize in the 2009 competition went to Jyväskylä in Finland for its ‘City of Light’ project which focused on its innovative application of outdoor architectural lighting to strengthen the sense of security for the city’s vibrant and fast-growing population. Jyväskylä was one of five main prize winners in 2009, with joint second prize going to projects in Hangzhou, China and Lachen, Switzerland, while projects in Copenhagen, Denmark and Moers, Germany received ‘Special Mention’ prizes.