Stop, Look and Listen

Paul Lincoln

Commissioning Editor

For those who live in the city, navigating it safely is hugely affected by the injunction of the Green Cross Code, ‘Stop, Look and Listen’. However, as well as official instructions, how we navigate and enjoy the city is often governed by the design of artificial light; yet the efforts that go into analysing the visual impact of changes to the landscape during daylight hours are not matched by a similar focus on the way in which light can be designed to illuminate, to dazzle, and at times, to destroy. Debates about wasted light are growing, and an increased awareness of climate emergency is focusing on the way in which the illumination of buildings, streets and highways is so often a poor use of energy. In the midst of the pandemic, the way in which we navigate the landscape during the day and the night has rarely been more important. As we went to press, Centre for London published a report on lighting in the capital with observations relevant for all of the UK:

“Good lighting makes active journeys easier, safer and more enjoyable, thereby benefiting health, inclusion and decarbonisation... More people are walking or cycling, but our street lighting is intended to light the carriageway first, with footway and pedestrians second.” 1

This edition looks at what landscape practitioners do with both light and sound. The river at the heart of London is home to an extraordinary open air public art exhibition based on light (p6) and Will Jennings offers a historical perspective on public lighting (p11). Karl Jones makes a plea for fully informed lighting and landscape design (p20), whilst Light Bureau and LDA

Design showcase the latest thinking in this area (pp22-28).

Our LI Award winning guide ‘Thinking with my ears’ is showcased by Usue Ruiz Arana (p29), and in the first of a series of collaborations with the Cities and Health Journal, we consider the integration of soundscapes (page 33). Elettra Bordonaro considers the implications for equalities (p15), and Jill White considers the implications of visual disability and hearing loss in navigating the landscape (p38).

We address climate emergency in three ways in this edition. Claire Thirlwall writes about the power of listening to the landscape (p51), the designers of Valley Gardens look at a response to climate emergency in the heart of Brighton (p42), and the winner of the David Attenborough Award for Enhancing Biodiversity explains how he created Cator Park (p47).

We also look at Scotland in the run up to the parliamentary elections, the LI’s new entry standards, an update from the President, the appointment of new fellows, and learn the lessons of food stories in Lambeth.

Seeing clearly: How lighting can make London a better city. Centre for London, March 2021. Joe Wills, Nicolas Bosetti

Cover image: Illuminated River, Waterloo

Bridge © James Newton