Snezhana Zapreva
Europe Press Office
Arup’s lighting masterplan for the Konak-Kemeraltı district in Türkiye’s port city of İzmir has won first place in the Cities & Lighting Awards by Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI).
Organised for cities and local authorities, the LUCI Awards recognise urban lighting projects that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of urban lighting and aim to improve sustainability and quality of life.
Arup’s masterplan emphasises the social aspect of sustainability and nurtures the dialogue between different cultural groups, to create a sense of belonging to the community.
Enshrining the element of play, the masterplan design turns streets and squares into permanent playscapes for children, including the youngest members of the community to promote greater inclusivity in how we use public spaces.
Şebnem Gemalmaz, who leads Arup’s Lighting team in Türkiye, said: “We worked closely with İzmir’s Metropolitan Municipality to create an inclusive lighting masterplan that promotes social resilience and seeks to transform Kemeraltı and the surrounding area into a vibrant city centre.”
Dr.Özden Coşkun Öner, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Department of City History and Publicity, said: “Arup took a holistic approach to analysing the needs of Kemeralti's divergent community. The masterplan puts social inclusion at the heart of the design concept and aligns with our Municipality’s other social, cultural and architectural projects that aim to preserve and rehabilitate the area.”
The award was received by a representative from İzmir Metropolitan Municipality at a virtual ceremony on 21 October 2022.
Arup’s lighting design specialists help cities create engaging public spaces that boost social interaction and enhance the economic life of local communities.
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