In the 4.5 mile stretch connecting 10 neighborhoods within the city of Charlotte, North Carolina (USA), city officials and businesses have been joining forces to create an urban park along the light rail tracks. Known as the rail trail, this linear park draws visitors and commuters from all of the surrounding areas. The goal is to make it more than simply a way to get from point A to point B – it should become a destination in and of itself.

LED lighting markets in Europe, the US, and Japan have gradually matured, and China is also entering a period of intense competitions over pricing and scale. With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community, LED vendors’ attention on the emerging markets in Southeast Asia has grown over the years. According to a recent estimation made by LEDinside, a division of Trendforce, the lighting markets of the six major Southeast Asian countries – Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines – had a combined value of US$4.5 billion in 2014. Out of that amount, around US$1.1 billion came from the LED lighting market. The growing infrastructure needs within the countries of Southeast Asia are expected to bring great demands for LED lighting as well.