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Read about Leni’s appointment as the Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI) American Ambassador.

From François Hoehlinger And there was light. And it lit up our cobbled streets, made it possible to work later at night, made the streets safer, and it made it possible to travel, longer, further. Join me for a completely exclusive interview with Leni Schwendinger, one of the world's most recognized experts as a light planner, notably representing the United States within LUCI, the international consortium of light planner experts based in Lyon. Chatting with Leni is like walking through a world of creativity, imagination and altered perception: this perception of security, transport and mobility in the city as we never see it. With, at the heart of our discussions, the question of inclusion and gender equality in the face of a lack of light. “A woman will never ride a bike at night if there is no light”.... Join me for an absolutely unexpected and exciting journey, as much as this meeting at a table in New York with Leni, an inspiring and visionary woman whose legacy is told in the streets of the most beautiful city in the world.

A special message to architects, engineers, designers & builders LINKS: Guerilla Lighting  - community lighting with flashlights Who are theLighting Detectives? Derive ,  a critical term for walkability and wandering Vibelab  is a research, consultancy and advocacy agency dedicated to supporting creatives and supporting nighttime culture 24-hour economy strategy for Greater Sydney 24-hour London's Visio

Public Art < Previous Next > Photos: Leni Schwendinger Light Projects Photos: Leni Schwendinger Light Projects (sculpture, daytime detail) Tidal Radiance Location San Diego, CA Client Unified Port of San Diego Team Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Paul Basile Fabrication, DCI-Engineering ​ ​ Tidal Radiance was funded through the Port of San Diego’s Percent for Art program. Adding drama and another focal point to the North Embarcadero, the dynamic display is visible to Port Pavilion visitors, pedestrians strolling along the Embarcadero, and motorists traveling on North Harbor Drive. For the Port Pavilion of Broadway Pier, a 45-foot by 16-foot exterior wall sculpture, Tidal Radiance, combines an environment of projections to evoke tides and sea life. To set the stage for a dramatic transformation during the night, sculptural elements - custom cast-glass and metal forms - remain neutral by day. To accomplish this, Light Projects collaborated with the architect on material selections responsive to sunlight. After sunset, Tidal Radiance becomes a shimmering, organic form, seen from near and far. The artwork is visible to boats, pedestrians, and motorists along the Embarcadero promenade. The interplay between artwork and viewer is integral to Tidal Radiance. Along the perimeter of the terminal, the spectator becomes a participant in the luminous stenciled projections. Chromatic seasonal illuminations are evocative of the San Diego Bay culture. Luminous greens represent the whale watching season and glowing golds the cruise season. During the moon cycles, the full moon is expressed by pale blues, while the new and quarter moon emanate deep blue hues. This element of controlled changeability - combined with color symbolism - allows the artist to create public art that not only pleases the eye but communicates and displays nuanced messages about the environment we live in.

URBAN LIGHTING TRANSFORMS PLACES AFTER SUNSET KEY S ERVICES Pre-Design Discovery Existing Conditions Audit Community Engagement through NightSeeing ™ ​ ​ Lighting Design Phases ​ ​ CONCEPT SCOPE - Develop concepts to enhance landscape and architectural design themes - Basis of Design Report (Schematic) - Review and Comment (Final Design) - Site Commissioning ​ FULL-SERVICE SCOPE - Concept through Construction Documents - Site Commissioning - Site Commissioning HIGHLY QUALIFIED WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (WBE) DOWNLOADS NY STATE WBE CERTIFICATION NY CITY WBE CERTIFICATION PORT AUTHORITY WBE CERTIFICATION DESIGN PRACTICE SERVICES DOCUMENT LENI SCHWENDINGER For more than 20 years, Leni’s exploration of light has evolved into a profound understanding of the medium, which informs her unique approach across a variety of genres, including infrastructure, landmarks and the ever-changing urban environment and inclusive of community engagement practice. Her work weaves the dramatic and playful possibilities of light onto the fabric of urban life, sparking an expansion of social interaction and activity in public gathering places. She is an expert in light planning, with clients in the U.S. such as Downtown Santa Monica, City of Saratoga Springs, 82nd Street Partnership (Queens), city councils in Australia and Colombia. Recent lighting design projects can be experienced at sites such as parks, subways and bridges for architects, engineers and landscape architects. Examples include the New York MTA Subway Refurbishment, Cleveland’s Little Italy transit head-house, Hunters Point South Park (NYC) and Mulberry Commons (New Jersey). She directs International Nighttime Design Initiative which is establishing an interdisciplinary profession. Projects for the Initiative include Smart Lighting Guidance for New York State and developing innovative pilots with think-tank, New Urban Mobility. Around the world, for a decade, people have joined in the NightSeeing™ Navigate Your Luminous City program. These “LightWalks” have been conducted in New York City, Seattle and Portland, US; London, UK; Bogota, CO; Prague, CZ; Sydney, AU; to name a few metropolitan locations. Now, an internationally in-demand speaker, Schwendinger is considered a pioneer and authority on urban lighting and infrastructure. She is the recipient of numerous professional awards and global media coverage. Her prestigious fellowships include affiliations with Visiting Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, Design Trust for Public Space (NYC) and Urban Design Forum.

Planning + Community < Previous Next > International Nighttime Design Initiative (NTD), Planning 4 Places ​ Municipal Smart City Street Lighting Conversion & Evolving Technology Guidebook Location New York Capital District Client Capital District Transportation Team International Nighttime Design Initative (NTD), Planning 4 Places ​ ​ The Municipal Smart City Street Light Conversion & Evolving Technology Guidebook was commissioned to address issues of street light ownership, the streamlining of municipal services, and economic benefits for New York State. Additionally, the convergence of energy-saving, responsive technologies, ownership of data, and infrastructure is being debated across the nation. In parallel, issues of public space equity and social cohesion are in flux. The intent was to provide guidelines proposing a unique hybrid of design, policy, technological and social inputs to the growing field of smart cities applications. As cities and towns across the region convert/upgrade their street lights to energy-saving LED, they must consider and balance lighting quality, safety, after-dark social issues, digital infrastructure, and economic considerations. The guidebook also addresses community engagement, essential for developing trust and on-the-ground knowledge, with a photo narrative about NightSeeing™, an evening program developed by Leni Schwendinger for active learning about illumination and nighttime design. Planning for smart and responsive lighting technologies opens the door to considerations about expanded digital infrastructure. The range of available applications results in a vast set of options and market promises from parking solutions to gunshot detection. Case Study, City of Saratoga Springs With a thriving downtown night-life and historical importance, the City of Saratoga Springs presented an excellent test-case for how to create safe and sustainable nighttime environments through a strategic look at lighting. With additional regional and Northeast case studies, diagrams and images, the guidebook offers context, perspective, and a roadmap for complex decision-making processes. The Saratoga Springs’ streets and open spaces contain a mixture of public lighting with an inconsistent collection of light poles and fixtures as well as light sources – sodium, metal halide and LED. Saratoga Springs desired to consolidate the look and feel of their night lighting and connect it to a central system. Committed to sustainability and exploring enabling technologies through their Smart City Roadmap, they can now consider expanded options such as electric vehicle charging, public WiFi, and data collection capabilities to aid safety, transportation, and other service operations. The International Nighttime Design Initiative (NTD), founded by Ms. Schwendinger, partnered with Planning4Places to complete a Municipal Lighting Technology Guidebook for The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) as part of New York State’s Smart Communities Program. The guidebook also addresses community engagement, essential for developing trust and on-the-ground knowledge, with a photo narrative about NightSeeing™, an evening program developed by Leni Schwendinger for active learning about illumination and nighttime design. The Guidebook is free and available to the public.