LIGHTING THE BOULEVARD
the Atlantic Avenue Doorway Lighting Project
 
Background
 The Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC), a not-for-profit organization committed to the economic development of the Atlantic Avenue area from Fourth Avenue to the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, is launching a cooperative, sustainable, civic lighting program entitled Lighting The Boulevard. The 10-block strip of Atlantic Avenue on which the AALDC operates is notable for its historic structures and its contemporary, locally owned retail. It is the link between the emerging anchors of Brooklyn Bridge Park, the BAM Cultural District, and the Atlantic Yards retail and entertainment center.

Why Light the Boulevard?
Doorway lighting will improve the nighttime experience for the area's residents and businesses. The AALDC's 2002 Master Plan, prepared by Civitas, Inc. of Denver, noted that Atlantic Avenue suffers from gaps in streetscape amenities, including street trees and lighting. These gaps inhibit creation of a pedestrian-friendly boulevard. Improvements to the overall streetscape experience can be accomplished by filling in shadow-gaps with lighting, which the Plan identified as a feasible short-term priority. The lights will attract visitors and increase foot traffic to merchants.

An Experiment in Community Lighting
Internationally renowned lighting artist, Leni Schwendinger, principal of Light Projects, Ltd. has been retained to conceptualize the program and create and manage the design process. She has employed an integrated approach that builds on the AALDC's community outreach, and combines an advanced, energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology donated by OSRAM Sylvania and a customizable fixture/module created by DesignPlan. The underlying principle is to provide a lighting system by which each doorway will contribute to the civic space. Through an accumulation of welcoming thresholds, the whole avenue will be illuminated. An integrated unit will utilize low-energy, miniaturized lighting sources and cast light on both doorway and sidewalk by focusing the tiny light strips. Schwendinger has designed the program and the fixtures to fit either flanking the doorway - as a wall-mounted sconce - or over the doorway, mounted on the ceiling inset. Participants will customize their units by selecting the housing color and numeral-address plate color.

Current Status
Installation of lights on the pilot block (10 storefronts) will be complete by mid-November. The pilot is a "beta test" on doorways on the south side of Atlantic Avenue between Hoyt and Bond Streets. It is being funded by the AALDC at no cost to merchants or property owners. The AALDC is identifying funding sources to extend the installation to other blocks on Atlantic between 4th Avenue in Boerum Hill and Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights. As of mid-October, photometric calculations and other analyses have been conducted. A color palette has been selected. Luminaire designs are final. Merchants and building owners have met individually with project manager, Bayview Construction, to coordinate details of installation for their doorways.

Public Support
Lighting the Boulevard is a model program of cooperative lighting and energy efficiency. Utility giant, Con Edison, has applauded the AALDC's efforts, noting that the program is a chance to test the "next generation" of outdoor lighting fixtures and advance Govenor Pataki's goal of making the state more energy efficient. Elected officials and community advocacy groups have provided input throughout the design process, lauding Lighting the Boulevard because of its long-range impact on the well being of citizens and its promise of strengthened economic development. The program is designed to be precedent setting and can easily be transferred to other commercial and residential districts.

View the flyer about the Lighting Project HERE (PDF 54kb)

LATEST NEWS: Brooklyn's main street brightens with advanced lighting technology, Nov, 2004

Goals Master Plan Recommendations Implementation Priorities