Cities of Light - Two Centuries of Urban Illumination

Cities of Light explores the history of urban electrification in major world metropolises like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Mumbai, but also looks at lighting as a kind of urban design itself. Through case studies of some of the world’s largest and most dramatically lit cities, the book examines the shock brought by early urban lighting, with new design forms like outdoor advertising, public cinema, and nightlife photography pushing the world into modernism. The book looks to the future of mediascapes, lighting masterplans, and "guerrilla lighting" in emerging cities in the UAE and Asia to see what the future of the all-night city will look like.