The effects of artificial lighting on landscape character and visual amenity: Assessment and interdisciplinary working

‘Landscape character’ is intrinsically linked to a variety of aspects including visibility (views), ecology, heritage and lighting. Assessment of effects (e.g. of development) on landscape character and visual amenity regularly forms a chapter of an Environmental Statement (i.e. an Environmental Impact Assessment) as a ‘Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment’ (LVIA), and are most often assessed for the daytime, with other times of the day often overlooked. Landscape character of a location immediately after dusk, during the night and immediately prior to dawn are recognised as being different to, but as important as, that described during the daytime, and accordingly the process LVIA of is evolving. The process of iterative design, and assessment of environmental effects (including those on humans), is becoming an increasingly multi-disciplinary task, and requires a common understanding and multi-functional solutions.

This webinar aims to provide a sound basis to help further the effectiveness of lighting professionals working in partnership with landscape (and other environmental) professionals on their designs and assessment areas in an informed and co-ordinated way.

Speaker: Karl Jones CMLI CEnv PIEMA, Crestwood Environmental

Host: Peter Harrison MBA CEng FILP, ILP

Karl is a chartered landscape architect and chartered environmentalist and has over 20 years’ experience in landscape design, assessment, management and planning. He is a Managing Director at Crestwood Environmental Ltd and has been an active member of the Technical Committee of the Landscape Institute for a number of years, which has been leading the production of new technical guidance on landscape and visual assessment of light and artificial lighting, primarily for use by landscape (and other) professionals. The aim of this guidance is to promote greater understanding of this under-recognised area, and to improve interdisciplinary working to improve nightscapes.