City of London proposing to make skyscrapers dim their lights at night

(The Guardian, 11 Feb 2023) Plans for Square Mile would create ‘brightness zones’ governed by curfews amid the darkened buildings.

Skyscrapers in the City of London would be required to dim their lights at night as part of proposals to reduce visual pollution and save energy.

Under the proposal from the City of London Corporation, property owners across the Square Mile – a 1.12 square mile zone in the centre of the capital whose boundaries stretch from the Temple to the Tower of London and from Chancery Lane to Liverpool Street – would be asked to switch off unnecessary building lights to create “brightness zones” governed by curfews.

City officials are concerned about energy wastage and light pollution caused by the unnecessary use of lights in office buildings that have few or no workers after a certain time of night.

“Over time, as new developments come forward that follow this guidance, we will transform the approach to lighting in the City,” the corporation said in a planning document setting out the proposal, the Financial Times reported.

Buildings would be asked to turn off or dim all external illumination other than that required for safety or crime prevention.

External link

The Guardian, 11 Feb 2023: City of London proposing to make skyscrapers dim their lights at night