Dynamic Light – Cesena’s Pilot Area A new green area on a human scale

Where? Location

Cesena is situated in Northern within Emilia- Region, together with Forlì it is the capital of the Forlì-Cesena district. Cesena has a population of about 96,935. The public lighting network in Cesena is not homogeneous and have very different requirements in terms of lighting due to the characteristics of the urban area which has a central compact core surrounded by a suburban area of the countryside in which the residential fabric consists of scattered houses and small settlements along the main roads. To test new dynamic lighting technologies the municipality of Cesena has identified as a pilot area the public garden called “11 September 2011” and a part of a pedestrian path both located within the biggest area of the Ex Sugar Refinery, a big discarded industrial area (220.000 sqm) in the northwest of the city center.

Why? Strategic value

The pilot area is strategic within the urban context in Cesena first of all because of its location that connects the historic city center, with the river and the large green area of hippodrome that extends north- west to the railroad line. The Ex Sugar Refinery area has been completely redeveloped in 2008 with a new residential headquarters (257 apartments) with social housing and student flats, a shopping center (10.000 sqm) with parking areas (17.000 sqm), business center (Bank of Cesena, offices..), pedestrian and cycle paths (10.000 sqm). Furthermore, at the end of 2017 the new university campus will be inaugurated in the area to house the University of Architecture, Psychology and Informatics. Currently the public garden called “11 September 2011”, which is located at the center of the new residential district is dimly lit, characterized by urban decay problems and little-used from the residents. The pilot project is therefore a great opportunity to test a new approach in defining new lighting solutions that answer not only to the energy efficiency criteria but also to the specific social needs of the context.

What? Expected results and Technical approach

In 2013 the municipality of Cesena approved a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) that focus on energy efficiency in public and private buildings and in public spaces and in 2016 has signed the new initiative of the Covenant of Mayors called “Mayors Adapt” setting new reduction targets for 2030. Within this sustainable framework policies, the pilot installation of the Dynamic Light project has the specific objective of the removal of the existing 69 light points in the public garden “11 September 2011” and the insertion of 25 new lighting points equipped with LED technology with a considerably lower power consumption (34W per luminaire). It is studying the possibility of inserting systems equipped with intelligent sensors (or domotics devices) that react to the passage of people taking into account the time of day and the type of attendance. The municipality of Cesena expects an energy saving of 90% respecting the parameters of luminous efficiency and safety from Regional and Eu laws, less light pollution, increase the light quality and the accessibility of the green area (more liveable and safety).