Bloomberg published an article last December 5th on the lighting ban in Paris. In reading this article, it strikes me that one aspect of lighting that we rarely talk about is lighting for communication. It is impressive that the “city of light” would take on this ban on night-time lighting based on a call for energy efficiency. The article quotes the industry as saying that, “only 10 percent of France’s total lighting consumption is made at night”. Whether this is true or not, done in the right way, this ban on night-time lighting could work to communicate to the citizens of France, Europe, and the tourists of Paris that it is important to save energy and think about sobriety. As long as this communication is not done at the expense of the shops and stores who are also using lighting to communicate to tourists and consumers.
Favorite quote: “There is no intention to put us all into darkness or frighten Japanese tourists,” said Alain Fleury, an ANPCEN representative. “We can find a balanced way to consume and not always push for more, brighter or stronger.”