Praha, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a one of the European cities with several buildings, streets, and city features preserved from the middle ages,　and a very popular destination for tourists. The city, also famous for its many ste…

The Paris nightscape has become a model for nightscapes around the world. Appreciation for the streets of Paris has helped to preserve and restore them to places of beauty during the day and at night. At night, the streets emerge as distinc…

The design of the Lyon nightscape is a joint venture between the government and the citizens. Various lighting materials are used by trail and error throughout the city to create its lightscape. Standing on a street corner one gets the impr…

A profound lightness and darkness soaks into the classic streets of London. There is not any flashy propaganda, but the orange street lights in the late night fog bring the history of the city and its lights alive. The question now is how m…

The thoughts and ideas of Poul Henningsen seem to be present throughout the streets of Copenhagen. Co-existing soft, tender light and natural light combine to create a nightscape in Copenhagen that reminds us technology is not always the an…

Even as the busy capital of Hungary, this city is almost free of fancy colored-lighting and flashy signage. Overall there is not much facade lighting or the glamorous atmosphere associated with many larger cities in Western Europe. However,…

The new cityscape in Potsdamer Platz is a symbol for the new Berlin. Like light, the shadow from the wall that separated the east and west has dwindled to nothing, but some things still stay the same. The light along Ku-Damm Street still cr…

Barcelona is a city of monuments, whether driving or walking, these unforgett- able symbols of Barcelona are everywhere. At night, the lights of the city further jog one’s memory and create distinctive perspective projections. Streaks from …

Our survey took place after the dust settled from the construction rush to finish infrastructure for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Around the main tourist attractions the lighting atmosphere was very orderly, but in Athens the ancient and moder…

Kichijoji is an area of Tokyo where a variety of elements are compressed together to create this unique neighborhood. However, even though it seems to be a mixture of “stuff” the area is well planned and organized. Public and private organi…

Modern Kagurazaka still conveys the atmosphere of its once flourishing Edo Era streets. Old Japanese restaurants and bars line the narrow alleyways and with softly glowing lantern light and welcome signs to complete the scene, one forgets t…

Rich in local history and cultural facilities, Ueno Park covers a large area in the middle of Tokyo. Even though located in an urban setting, we anticipated a lighting environment completely different than the lights of downtown. Between th…

Tianjin is situated 150km east of Beijing and easily reached in a 30-minute high-speed train ride. Historically, foreign influence including the UK and Germany has shaped the western-style architecture and streetscape that this city is fame…

From post-Olympic pride to the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of China as a nation, China is a very vibrant place. In this country where government is central, we discovered elaborate, but regulated lighting, lighting embellished by ec…

Shimokitazawa is a neighborhood of small shopping streets and alleyways, projecting a strange, but comfortable atmosphere, as people crowd the backstreets until late in the night. However, plans to replace this quaint neighborhood with arte…

In front of the main gate to Senso-ji Shrine lies the neighborhood of Asakusa. One of Tokyo’s most popular entertainment districts, Asakusa flourished with kabuki, opera, and comic storytelling from the Meiji Era to the end of WWII. The Lig…

Hoi An was once a flourishing intermediate city of trade. Now, the city is trying to protect the traditional streetscape to appeal as a tourist destination. The nostalgic lantern festival, which was held every full moon, is being reintegrat…

The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, has developed into the center of economic activity for the country. The city is in the mists of a huge transformation with new building wherever you turn. We will have to wait and see how the street…

Putrajaya has been developed as the new center for government since its functional move from the former capital Kuala Lumpur. The city planning is very representative of the nation’s authority and symbolic in nature with a very elaborate li…

Georgetown is a town with a very colonial atmosphere. The entire city still has many surviving historical landmarks from its period of British rule and a collective colonial feel to its cityscape. However, it is very different then the beau…