Cities under the Starlight
The combination of increased awareness of the need to minimize impacts of light pollution, growing need to promote energy efficiencies in rural and urban development planning for mitigating climate change consequences and greater public appreciation of the recreational and educational benefits of a clear-night sky could help to move the Starlight idea into mainstream development processes.
Natarajan Ishwaran, Director, Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, UNESCO, Secretary, Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
Cities are the main source of pollution in the starry sky. Artificial brightness at night affects not only the urban areas themselves. Its influence in fact can reach tens or hundreds of kilometres around them, with negative repercussions on ecological balance and landscape quality which have not been sufficiently assessed yet. We should also take into account that excess illumination of our villages and cities is not a sign of development nor increases safety. It is simply an act of ignorance. Waste of artificial light increases energy consumption and is economically unjustified. It also increases the level of emissions that contribute to climate change.
The possibility to design the starlight friendly cities is at hand’s reach. It would be enough to follow three principles. First, only illuminate what needs to be illuminated. Second, make use of outdoor lighting only when needed. Finally, use luminaires that completely avoid light emissions towards the horizon or up to the sky. It is absurd to waste energy by sending light to the stars. These three principles can be easily integrated into planning development, regardless of the available level of technology and resources.
Starlight Cities and MaB Urban Futures Programme
The initiative was presented at the Shanghai Conference (Urban Futures and Human and Ecosystem Wellbeing Symposium, 2010), and is part of the Urban Futures Programme (UNESCO-MaB, SCOPE). Starlight Cities is one of the areas of cooperation between the Programme and the Covenant of Mayors of the European Commission.
Reducing light pollution and introducing rationality in outdoor lighting is not only an act of responsibility, it is also an obliged smart choice that brings economic benefits, improve health, allows better conservation of habitats and wildlife, saves energy, and allows to recover the starry sky dimension as part of the landscape perceived by people for their enjoyment. For this reason, the Starlight Initiative set a specific action to implement a benchmarking of excellence in night sky quality recovery strategy. This action aims to develop models and tools that allow the inclusion of the night dimension in the planning and design of new settlements and cities. Among the initial objectives are:
- Help the night environment through sustainable technologies.
- Promote the implementation of Starlight criteria in outdoor lighting design.
- Integrate responsible lighting in architecture and urban planning.
- Promote the wise use of energy and the climate change commitment.
- Establish partnerships with industry to promote R&D&I in outdoor lighting.
- Improve citizens’ quality of life and enjoyment of the environment.
- Develop educational and convivial spaces under the stars.
- Consolidate a Starlight Cities network
Only from actual experiences it will be possible to recover the quality of the night sky in more sustainable and liveable cities.
Shanghai Declaration
The International Symposium on Urban Futures and Human and Ecosystem Wellbeing was held in Shanghai, China, on 26-30 October, 2010. The symposium brought together scientists, researchers, planners and managers concerned by the impacts of rapid urbanization, unsustainable development and the excessive consumption of resources of cities on the ecological wellbeing of the larger region, including effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, natural resources, climate, human health, and cultural heritage.
All participants to the symposium were convinced of the need to further strengthen and support interdisciplinary and international cooperation on sustainable urban development in existing, new, and rapidly expanding cities. The adopted Shanghai Declaration on Urban Futures and Human and Ecosystem Wellbeing encourages the UNESCO-MAB Programme and its partners to establish a joint policy relevant, research, assessment, capacity building and outreach programme to further advance the concept of sustainable urban development. The joint programme, entitled “Urban Futures” will contain several major areas, including making full use of UNESCO MAB biosphere reserves to enhance urban sustainability and to improve the relationships between cities and the ecosystems of which they are a part.
..."Urge regional, national, state or provincial, and local authorities to help address climate change, environment and pollution issues, including light pollution, through a range of resource use efficiency programmes and renewable energy production and to allocate sufficient resources to achieve the objectives of economically sustainable and environmentally sound urban development;"
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