MedSkyTour – Interreg Euro-MED – Co-funded by the European Union
C1.1 · Lighting design

Light only what is needed

Before buying better lights, ask whether each light is needed at all – then keep it, control it or remove it.

Keep needed: shield it Control sometimes: timer, sensor Remove no purpose: switch off
Sort every outdoor light into one of three groups during a night walk.

Cost

€€€

Mostly staff time; saves money from day one

Effort

Low

Time to implement

Weeks

A quick win to start with

Lighting zones

All zones

Priority: nature-park and coastal zones

In one minute

Many outdoor lights were installed years ago and nobody has asked since whether they are still needed: floodlit monuments and façades all night, lights along empty roads outside villages, illuminated signs after closing time, sports fields lit after the game.

Removing or switching off what serves no purpose is the cheapest measure of all – every light that stays off is one less source of sky glow. Where guidance is needed, reflective markers can sometimes replace a light entirely.

What it solves

  • Sky glow
  • Energy and maintenance cost
  • Disturbance of wildlife on coasts and in parks
  • Light intrusion

Who can act

Municipality

Audit its lights; switch off decorative lighting after a set hour; remove what has no purpose.

Region

Ask for a lighting audit before funding new lighting projects.

Protected area / park

No new lights without a clear purpose; remove lights from core areas.

Business

Switch off signs and shop windows after closing time.

Citizen

Turn off decorative garden lights; ask "do I need it?" before installing one.

How to do it

  1. 1Night walkWalk the area after dark with the self-assessment template.
  2. 2Sort every lightKeep, control or remove.
  3. 3Check safetyConfirm crossings, steps and junctions with traffic services.
  4. 4ActStart with decorative lighting – switch-off hours or removal.
  5. 5ExplainShare before-and-after photos and the savings with residents.
  6. 6Set a rule"No new outdoor light without a purpose."

Watch out for

  • Monuments matter for tourism: set switch-off hours rather than removing the lighting.
  • Keep lights where safety needs them – crossings, steps, key junctions.
  • Check who owns and maintains each light before removing it.

How to measure progress

  • Number of lights removed or switched off
  • Monuments with a switch-off hour
  • Electricity use and cost saved per year
  • Sky brightness at a fixed point (SQM)

Funding and legal basis

  • Little or no funding needed; the savings can pay for other measures
  • A municipal decision for its own lights; signs and private lighting need an ordinance (C3.2)

Seen in our partner regions

All good practices →
PT · ADRAL Decorative public lighting replaced with LED, Ponte de Sor Energy efficiency and less light pollution from decorative lighting, with optimised lighting levels. Read the practice → IT · Regione Lazio Regional framework against light pollution (L.R. 23/2000) Regional rules, technical guidance and enforcement shared with municipalities and observatories. Read the practice → HR · RERA Ecological outdoor lighting guidelines, Jelsa Municipal rules for outdoor lighting in a dark-sky community. Read the practice →

Ready to start?

Download the night-walk checklist and the letter of intent, and tell us your authority will apply this measure.

Night-walk checklist (PDF) Sign a letter of intent

Related measures

Sources

  • DarkSky International – Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting ("Useful")
  • MedSkyTour D3.1.1 Starlight Self-Assessment Guide, step 3; D3.2.1 Transnational Starlight Guidelines
  • MedSkyTour Application Form, A3.3 – "reducing the use of decorative lights for public monuments"