Durham is set to follow in the footsteps of major world cities by hosting a prestigious international conference on city lighting.
The event will bring planners, engineers, lighting designers, architects and mayors from over 70 cities across the world to the region.
LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) is the international network of cities on urban lighting.
Each year it holds an annual general meeting and conference in a major city, having been to Guangzhou (China), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Helsinki (Finland), and Seoul (South Korea) in recent years.
LUCI is set to hold its 15th annual general meeting and conference in Durham from Monday 13 to Thursday, 16 November, coinciding with the Lumiere light festival which takes place from Thursday 16 to Sunday, 19 November.
Registration for the conference has just opened and already delegates from Eindhoven, Toulouse, Reykjavik, London, Glasgow and Shanghai have confirmed they will attend.
It is expected that the event will attract up to 150 delegates from all over the world.
Councillor Bill Kellett, chairman of Durham County Council and Mayor of Durham City, said: “Durham has a great story to tell and we are delighted to welcome the LUCI network in November.
“We are making great strides in realising the potential of light to transform our city and change perceptions of Durham as a place.
“Lumiere, the UK’s largest light festival, attracts hundreds of thousands to our city and generates millions for our local economy.
“We are using sustainable lighting to celebrate our unique history and heritage and to drive economic growth and job creation.”
Mary-Ann Schreurs, President of LUCI and Vice Mayor of Eindhoven in Holland, said:
“We are very happy to hold the LUCI Annual General Meeting 2017 in beautiful Durham, where so many aspects of light in the city converge, making it the perfect setting for this important LUCI gathering.
“I would like to thank Durham County Council for hosting the LUCI AGM and giving us this opportunity to discover this great ‘Place of Light’ together with Lumiere – one of the leading light festivals in Europe.”
Highlights of the conference programme include international panel discussions on the role of light in boosting the attractiveness of cities and how smart networks and intelligent lighting can improve quality of life. There will also be site visits to some of the region’s iconic night-time cityscapes including Durham Cathedral and Castle and Newcastle/Gateshead Quayside.
For further information on the LUCI conference and to register, go to www.luciassociation.org/