Lighting is necessary to visually experience and interpret our surroundings. Consideration must be given to the position of the sun to plan for lighting needs at all times of day.
Lighting elements should be contribute to a well-developed streetscape, even during daytime. Ornate lighting, like the above photo from Chesterfield, can establish a sense of place. An appearance resembling historic lighting poles and genuinely historic lighting helps pedestrians be immersed in the composite of the many elements of the public realm.
The Valentine neighborhood lacks historic lighting, with pole-mounted LED cobra lights being the most common lighting used for streets and sidewalks. These lights are directly over streets, leaving them better lit than adjacent sidewalks.
Existing Lighting in North Valentine, as depicted in the above map, is concentrated on the north side of blocks. This is likely due to the north side of structures in the Northern Hemisphere always being in shadow, requiring more light in lieu of sunlight.
The orientation of the remaining structures to face east or west provides ample natural lighting from the sun to the south, east, and west sides of the structure east.
As the sun’s position moves throughout the year, the north side of structures may be cast in longer shadows that stretch the span of the street. Ample lighting is needed on the north side of structures to establish a comfortable environment, comparable to the south facing side of the structure. The south facing side is appealing to pedestrians for the warmth, increased visibility, and intention is design given to south facing sides of a structure.
