Tuusula outdoor lighting guidelines, initiative

Tuusula outdoor lighting guidelines

I am submitting a council initiative proposing that the municipality of Tuusula take steps to draw up guidelines for outdoor lighting. The aim is to create clear and consistent guidelines for the objectives, control, design, approval and implementation of outdoor lighting. The guidelines should cover all types of municipal areas, including town centres, parks, town plan areas and road areas.

I propose that a working group be set up, comprising both municipal representatives and external lighting experts with proven track records in design work. The working group’s task will be to draw up comprehensive guidelines for outdoor lighting, including:

• Principles and standards for lighting design and implementation
• Requirements for the designer's professional skills
• Instructions for selecting, installing and maintaining light sources
• Measures to improve energy efficiency and reduce light pollution
• Considerations relating to the protection of nature and species
• Requirements for lighting in different areas of the municipality of Tuusula
• Areas that require particularly demanding planning and implementation, such as town centres, coastal areas and RKY areas (RKY = nationally significant built cultural environments) The guidelines must be ready for consideration by the council promptly, as Tuusula is growing and building at an unprecedented rate, which can easily overshadow good design and quality considerations.

Justification

There are no guidelines for outdoor lighting in Tuusula. Nor is there a consistent process when the municipality plans and implements lighting for its areas, centres, parks and road areas in town plan areas. It is unacceptable that even in the plans for the most valuable areas along the shore of Lake Tuusula, which are nationally designated RKY areas, lighting is mentioned in just four words: “Various LED lighting will be designed for the park.” These plans have not been approved by any institution, not even by the municipality’s Facade and Local Environment Quality Group, whose task is to ensure quality in significant projects. There are no regulations governing lighting in new residential areas, resulting in the garish lighting of the Puustellimetsä car park in the immediate vicinity of our 2020 housing fair area.

Lighting plays a key role in ensuring comfort and safety, but unnecessary or poorly designed lighting causes light pollution, which is harmful to both people and the environment. Light pollution impairs sleep quality and health, disturbs wildlife and ecosystems, and hides the starry sky from city dwellers. It is also a sign of energy waste, which increases both costs and environmental emissions.

Lighting in coastal and RKY areas is a particularly sensitive issue, where safety and comfort must be taken into account alongside nature conservation and energy efficiency. Incorrectly designed lighting can spoil the environment and prevent residents from enjoying natural darkness and the starry sky.

Lighting in urban areas is more complex and requires careful planning to ensure both safety and a pleasant environment for residents. Smart lighting control and LED technology offer opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce light pollution, but they require clear guidelines and standards to work effectively.

The introduction of LED lighting has brought significant benefits in terms of affordability and versatility. However, the downside of these benefits is that, as LED lighting has become more cost-effective, it has begun to be used more widely and at higher light intensities. This development has led to an increase in light pollution, which is clearly visible in satellite images. Energy-efficient LED lights were supposed to reduce energy consumption and improve the quality of lighting, but without careful planning and guidance, light and energy are wasted in the sky, increasing light pollution.

In Denmark, for example, street lighting power has been deliberately kept lower than in Finland, where the “cheap and efficient” mentality has led to the widespread and uncritical use of LED lighting. Denmark’s approach, which emphasises hygge in street lighting and opts for a lower Kelvin value, producing a warmer and more pleasant light, offers a valuable lesson. It emphasises that lighting design should focus not only on energy efficiency but also on aesthetics, comfort and environmental impact.

It is clear that it is time for the municipality of Tuusula to introduce comprehensive outdoor lighting guidelines that respond to the opportunities and challenges offered by modern lighting technology. The guidelines will help to ensure that lighting in Tuusula is both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, and that it promotes the comfort and safety of residents without causing unnecessary light pollution or disturbing biodiversity.

Finally, the development of Tuusula Municipality’s outdoor lighting guidelines is a significant step towards a more sustainable and pleasant environment for all residents. It provides an opportunity to design and implement lighting that respects the needs of both people and the environment and reflects the municipality’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development.

This content has been translated using AI