The parks and gardens of Melbourne are a major asset for residents and tourists alike. Not only are they venues for passive and active recreation, but also prominent elements in the fabric of the city.
With social changes, there is increasing demand for evening use, and developments in lighting technology create a range of opportunities to enhance the night appeal of gardens as well as their safety.

Interestingly the existing lighting gave a random light glow throughout parks but did not address pedestrian routes, colour rendition and lighting costs.
The strategy recommends a prioritisation of routes, a reduction in lighting after midnight for cost saving purposes, a change to Metal halide for better rendition and facial recognition and a suite of pole which reduced direct lighting and promoted refraction.
The overall strategy provides a rationale for comprehensive park lighting, and individual park strategies show how the rationale would be applied.
The strategy, which was a first of its kind in Australia, has been fully implemented.
co-authored with Paul Laycock