# Street Lighting in Your City / State / Country



## StreetView (Jul 25, 2009)

Hi, everyone. 

I was thinking about street lighting the other day, so I decided to start a thread about it. How is it in the places where you live or have lived in the past?

I am currently living in southern Brazil and as I could notice, most of the streets are lit by *sodium vapor* bulbs (yellow-colored light), whose wattage range from 70W to 400W in most cases. Poles are usually placed some 30m (34 yds) apart from each other, except in places which have a differentiated lighting scheme.

A few cities like Curitiba and Santos have installed *metal halide* bulbs (magnesium-white light) in major streets and thoroughfares, given that these bulbs generate a more natural light.
*
Mercury vapor* bulbs (blueish white light) have fallen to disuse in most of the major cities, due to the increased power consumption when compared to sodium vapor bulbs. In the late 90's and early 2000's, most of the major cities started replacing mercury vapor bulbs with their equivalent sodium vapor bulb (i.e. 250W mercury to 150W sodium; 400W M to 250W S; etc). Even considering the power savings added by the sodium vapor bulbs, some cities remain mostly lit by mercury vapor bulbs -- this is the case in São Paulo, where not even 50% of the streets are sodium vapor-lit.

In the United States, I'd say that about 90% (maybe more) of the streets are sodium vapor-lit. In densely populated urban areas, pole spacing is about the same as in Brazil, but in suburban communities poles are a greater distance apart from each other, sometimes 100 yds (90m).

I know sodium vapor bulbs are environment-friendlier than the mercury vapor ones, but I sure miss when most of the streets where lit by mercury -- it felt so much more comfortable for the eyes.

So, what do you guys think? How is it in the cities where you've been? Feel free to post any pictures if you feel like doing it.

You all have a great weekend.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Differently designed lampposts line (theme) most of our main shopping streets, while some residential streets also get equipped as such. A few main streets (themes) hailing from the 80s are being refitted.


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## niterider (Nov 3, 2009)

I notice in North America they are placed at much farther distances apart from one another than in Europe, I assume because of greater distances and miles of road to cover.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

^^ I`m inclined to agree with you if you`re referring to hydro-pole standards. I`ve noticed that Montreal itself is over-illuminated, compared to other NA cities.


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## Wey (Jul 8, 2008)

This is a VERY interesting question in which I've occupied plenty of my consideration before 

I'm also from Brazil, and one of the most intriguing aspects of it, I must say, is the overall aspect of the cities, as in satellite pictures, for instance. Despite it's enormous population, São Paulo, amongst other sizeable brazilian metropolis' are often "darker" than their north-american or even south-american counterparts, and I see no particular reason for it. 

I mean, considering what has already been said here about the greater distance between poles in the US and the lightness compositon being about the same, what would be the explanation?

Here's an example of what I mean:









Would it be the urbanisation scheme? The bigger density in the brazilian cities? Even the Mojave seems brighter than some pretty populated areas over here...


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## RasheedsBaldSpot (May 25, 2010)

Here in Massachusetts we have the yellow-lights (evidently sodium vapor) typical across the US. However, in Beacon Hill, a historic neighborhood of Boston, they have gas lamp-posts.

http://mdunn.net/beaconhill.jpg


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

I misread the message: I thought you were writing the lampposts being closer together as opposed to farther apart.

Which might explain why I find Montréal to be brighter than most other N American places, although I found Montréal brighter than European places mind you. Plus (higher resolution) nighttime satellite shots confirmed my suspicions of Montréal being especially bright at night. Furthermore, I never find myself straining to see a passerby's facial expression/demeanour at night, whereas I've more often had to do so in other N American cities.


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## Yuri S Andrade (Sep 29, 2008)

Wey said:


> This is a VERY interesting question in which I've occupied plenty of my consideration before
> 
> I'm also from Brazil, and one of the most intriguing aspects of it, I must say, is the overall aspect of the cities, as in satellite pictures, for instance. Despite it's enormous population, São Paulo, amongst other sizeable brazilian metropolis' are often "darker" than their north-american or even south-american counterparts, and I see no particular reason for it.
> 
> ...


US cities (and even European for that matter) are much bigger than Brazilian ones. That's why they look brighter:



Yuri S Andrade said:


> ------------- *Área Km²*
> 1.New York -- 9.888
> 2.Chicago -- 5.498
> 3.Los Angeles -- 5.456
> ...


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Man! the city's bringing back white-light bulbs, only a new, disturbing type this phase around, at least on east Sainte-Catherine St. here. Their lighting aggravates my sight. It wouldn't surprise me if this new model contain poisonous gas (mercury a-vaporised?)...

I've read articles about the new kind of indoor lighting buggering up folks' vision, giving them headaches, etc., etc.; it seems it's now also outdoors.


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## Coldwake (Mar 15, 2005)

This doesn't quite fit... but I think streets and pedestrian areas that are lined with bollard lights (those 3 ft tall poles with lights on them) tend to look much classier. Although it is far less practical.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

^^ I'd say so. (Whatever technology that new lighting uses, such lightbulbs are have been gradually introduced into the underground metro just the past few weeks here.....reading by them, for instance, is vision-blurring. :nuts: )

With the sky seemingly overcast last night, the area over downtown here glowed white instead of orange. I don't know if the white glow was because of the moon, but the last time I'd seen white nighttime reflection on the sky must have been decades beforehand.


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## HelloMoto163 (Aug 13, 2005)

compared to other cities, berlin is a bit dark in the night : P


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## Max Headway (Nov 28, 2008)

In Australia, main streets are generally lit by sodium-vapour, the lesser streets by white lights which are wither conventional globe lights or fluorescent tubes. In some places (e.g. Toowoomba QLD, Taree NSW), the main streets may be lit by _yellow_ fluorescent lights.


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Chicago is listed as having 255,263 streetlights in the city. When I moved here, the first thing I noticed is there are a LOT of streetlights in this city. Every single street is lined with them. It's like daylight 24 hours a day in the winter when the trees don't block the light.

Newer lights are more ornamental/historical in design. Decorations, two bulbs coming out of the main support. Older lights are very plain, a pole, then another pole at right angle at the top overhanging the street.


They range from 50 watt to 400 watt. 

88,729 are 50-150 watt
80,110 are 250 watt
86,794 are 310-400 watt

You can literally pick out the city limits by the extra brightness of the lights:


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## chicagogeorge (Nov 30, 2004)

^^

wow pretty cool pics!


Here are another couple of Chicago


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## Di-brazil (Sep 12, 2009)

in Brazil :


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## jamesinclair (Mar 21, 2006)

trainrover said:


> Man! the city's bringing back white-light bulbs, only a new, disturbing type this phase around, at least on east Sainte-Catherine St. here. Their lighting aggravates my sight. It wouldn't surprise me if this new model contain poisonous gas (mercury a-vaporised?)...



No, theyre probably LED lights, which give out a white-blue light. This is actually the most natural color, but we're just not used to it because of all the yellow lights.

As someone else mentioned, parts of Boston are still lit with gas lights.


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## Accura4Matalan (Jan 7, 2004)

Many neighbourhoods in the UK are replacing their old streetlights with these new LED ones:








They have been rapidly taking root in various areas, including my own. However, I have yet to see them being used on main arterial roads. Whether they are designed only for residential areas and small inner city roads, I don't know. Either way, it should help this country reduce its orange light polluted night sky.


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## guy4versa4 (Oct 10, 2009)

putrajaya variety of lamp


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Accura4Matalan said:


> Many neighbourhoods in the UK are replacing their old streetlights with these new LED ones:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Starting this month Chicago is also starting to replace all theirs with LED lights. It's going to look a lot different around here after getting use to the hundreds of thousands of sodium lights.


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## 3baaad 4 Jeddah (Aug 17, 2008)

*Riyadh City*









^^








^^








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^^


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## Isek (Feb 13, 2005)

I guess that Germany is by far the darkest country of all large wealthy countries! Against Mediterran and arab countries it is unbeliveable dark. It seems that it has something to do with its ecological footprint and the German mentality not loving urban space. Especially residental areas are very very little enlighted during night. During a nightflight it is hard to realize whether there is a built up residental area or farmland.

Ruhr Area LUZ 5,302,179









Berlin LUZ 4,971,331









Hamburg LUZ 3,134,620









Stuttgart LUZ 2,663,660









Munich LUZ 2,531,706









Frankfurt LUZ 2,517,561









Cologne LUZ 1,873,580









Dusseldorf LUZ 1,525,029


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## LtBk (Jul 27, 2004)

I have seen worse. Besides, those cities look well lite to me.


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## Isek (Feb 13, 2005)

I guess this two pictures are quite characteristic. 
Both pics show a rather low density quarter. 

1. Country with immense city lights (high masts, lots of watts and lots of light scatter) 









2. Germany (low masts, little power, little scatter)


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Here is a map that really shows that Berlin is indeed not wel lit at night... Look at other places on this map and see that the Rurh area in Germany, the Brussels,Ghent,Antwerp in Belgium triangle and Randstad in The netherlands have much more light polution. Also look to other cities like London and Paris to compare!


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Belgium is one of the worst light polluters in the world. Almost al highways are fully lit. This picture shows almost the whole region of Flanders. The nothern part of the Picture is The netherlands. You can almost see the border bewteen Belgium and The Netherlands: Where the highway starts turning dark...
http://www.astrolab.be/educatief/fo...aanderen - Groot Formaat (ISS006-E-22830).JPG


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## Vrooms (Mar 4, 2010)

*Singapore*


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Hong Kong*



























_http://www.fotop.net/tunggloria_


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Chicagoago said:


> Starting this month Chicago is also starting to replace all theirs with LED lights. It's going to look a lot different around here after getting use to the hundreds of thousands of sodium lights.


The photos somebody shared on page 1 show Chicago streets without the electric wiring strung between lampposts. I'm curious, what fraction of the city's streets there have its power lines buried?


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## usek25 (Jul 12, 2008)

Some streetlamps in *Barcelona*::


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## usek25 (Jul 12, 2008)

i want to see the streetlights of your cities! post please


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## engenx4 (Jul 2, 2010)

São paulo - Brazil










Now


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## castermaild55 (Sep 8, 2005)

*Kyoto*


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## Mr_Dru (Dec 15, 2008)

*The Netherlands*

New generation lighting on LED









Streetlighting in rural areas with solarpanels









Typical Dutch streetlighting for cyclepaths and pedastrians









New generation cyclepath lighting on solar power

















In and around the city centres you wil see the classic design straatlighting


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## Evan (Jul 8, 2004)

I'm really not crazy about that eerie green glow, although I don't guess it's any worse than the unnatural orange glow in a lot of US cities.


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## de flatneuroot (Sep 11, 2002)

Streetlights of Rotterdam

Typical 70/80 streetlights (Rech 777)







Rech 777s with rubber duck


Lampposts with low pressure sodium lamps (Philips SRM and SRS201)


All lights above are now being replaced by 

INDAL Airtrace (With Philips Cosmopolis White lamp)






and Schréder Saffier 2 (flat glass version)


with bowl version


Modern lamppost for minor roads (Schréder Altra)


Some designs for residential areas and parks

INDAL Industria 2060


Schréder Alura


INDAL Industria Bobek 


Philips Urban Scene LED


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## i_am_hydrogen (Dec 9, 2004)

Thanks to a grant from the Dept. of Transportation, Chicago has begun to install metal halide lights throughout the city.

http://ceramics.org/ceramictechtoda...-with-new-ceramic-metal-halide-street-lights/


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## shtoopid (Jun 15, 2010)

during christmas time they put up crystal chandeliers as street lights


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Here in Tilburg they are rolling in LED lights. Whenever they repave or take heavy maintenance in a right-of-way (bike, pedestrian or road) they replace the lighting as well.


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

Here are some older UK street lights from the 50s-80s

I do miss the concrete ones! They are pretty rare now. I've only ever concrete street lights used in Italy, I'm not sure where else they may have been used...

Most of these have been removed now although some remain in suburban areas...


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

Here in medellin- Colombia there's just one type this one but I hate the light for real i'm tired of yellow..


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## RioARCHTQTO (Aug 19, 2011)

*Metro Manila, Philippines* 









http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6299734495_18cd5f699c_b.jpg









http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5648806756_a748259e42_b.jpg









http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd350/RonnieR_2008/P1010352.jpg









http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6229/6297903642_f5634d9fbb_z.jpg


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