The Department of Architecture at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, in cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit, organized a workshop titled “The Impact of Artificial Lighting Technologies on Urban Space” on Monday, 27 October 2025, at the Mohammed Makiya Hall. The event was attended by several faculty members, staff, and students, and was presented by a group of distinguished instructors from the department.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the importance of integrated artificial lighting design in urban environments to achieve a balance between visual aesthetics, energy efficiency, and public safety requirements. It covered three main themes: road lighting, bridge lighting, and lighting in public squares.
The first theme presented methods and purposes of artificial lighting across various types of roads—from local streets to highways—emphasizing its role in enhancing traffic safety and reducing accidents, as well as outlining international standards for lighting poles and their relationship to street design.
The second theme focused on lighting technologies for bridges as influential urban elements. The workshop reviewed global design models and analyzed the role of lighting in highlighting architectural identity and enhancing both the aesthetic and functional qualities of bridges.
The third theme highlighted the importance of lighting in public squares and its role in providing nighttime safety and encouraging social and cultural activities in urban spaces.
The workshop concluded by emphasizing the need to adopt sustainable urban lighting standards in urban development projects and encouraging collaboration between architecture departments and municipal authorities to design and implement advanced, environmentally friendly lighting systems. It also stressed the importance of integrating artificial lighting topics into architectural and civil engineering curricula, as well as supporting field and experimental research to study the impact of lighting on social behavior and quality of life in cities.
