If anyone has recently visited my current hometown of Toronto in the last two years, they would have noticed the new (and rather interesting) light show that has become the CN Tower. The tower, once dark at night for nearly a decade, had a recent installation of several thousands LED lights creating a plethora of colour to the 1800 foot tower. Having a view of downtown Toronto is certainly advantageous and the tower has become the new focal point for anyone fortunate to have such a view at night.
The CN Tower, however is just the latest example of how lighting and colour is beginning to be used as a way to make a city attractive and set a certain atmosphere to the streets and buildings of the urban environment. A recent excellent article by the Christian Science Monitor details how lighting in many major cities in the world have become a sort of spectacle. A strong example that the article uses is the Quartier des Spectacles neighbourhood in downtown Montreal. The neighbourhood, a center of arts and culture in the great city becomes transformed at night with lighting that accents its distinct urban feel.
The prospect of adding a certain new dimension to a streetscape at night is an exciting one and could only help provide more safety to those walking around on the street at night. You can find the excellent article by the Christian Science Monitor here.
