Enduring a third national lockdown in the long winter nights has shown us the importance of making London’s streets inviting and enjoyable for everyone after dark. We hosted a webinar to launch a report which sets out a new vision for lighting London.

Catch up on the discussion

About the event

To bounce back from the pandemic, we will need to make London’s town centres more appealing to residents and visitors than ever before. Good lighting can encourage people to get active and spend more time enjoying the city’s culture, shops, restaurants and night life once they reopen.

Designing well-considered lighting is a balancing act between the needs of pedestrians and road users, preserving our environment while enhancing feelings of security, and valuing our heritage while allowing commercial uses of light. How we strike this balance could fundamentally change our experience of the city.

So far, London has not been a leader in thinking about lighting, which is surprising given the amount and diversity of activities that take place after dark.

Questions we discussed at this event included:

• How can better lighting contribute make our public spaces more welcoming and inclusive?
• How can we make lighting more sustainable?
• What would it take to make London one of the best lit cities in the world?

Speakers include:

• Claire Harding (Chair), Research Director, Centre for London
• Nicolas Bosetti, Research Manager, Centre for London
• Amy Lamé, Night Czar, Greater London Authority
• Gabriella Gómez-Mont, Founder & Principal, Experimentalista
• Sarah Gaventa, Director, Illuminated River Foundation
• Nick Bodger, Cultural and Visitor Development Director, City of London Corporation