M. Novak, ASLA
University of Arizona Campus and Facilities Planning
Tucson, Ariz.

Different Viewpoints

Dear LASN: ?EUR??,,????'?????<

B. Carey
New York, N.Y.

Dear LASN: Thanks for the February 2003 issue, another goodie! Thank you for your tolerance of those who berate your spirituality and gratitude. Those that would chain themselves to trees or sit cross-legged chanting gibberish should be considered just ?EUR??,,????'?????<

W. Elliott
Lake Zurich, Ill.

Dark Skies

Editor?EUR??,,????'?????< The city council of Desert Hot Springs, CA – a community near Palm Springs – recently approved the first reading of an ordinance that curtails the amount of light that pollutes the city sky. In addition to Palm Springs, the desert city of La Quinta, CA has a similar ordinance already on the books. These Southern California cities are joining a growing list of communities around the world that are passing laws to help curtail light pollution.

In Desert Hot Springs, the proposed ordinance is designed to create shielded lighting. If approved, it will place restriction on the types of lighting that can be installed.

While the installation of 160-watt incandescent fixtures would be allowed, other types of lighting would have to be shielded. High-pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, quart and mercury vapor lights would have to be fully shielded if installed.

As the trend toward eliminating light pollution continues, landscape architects must rethink the way they design projects, adhering to new legislation. Landscape contractors must, in turn, use new tools, such as light shields, when completing these municipal projects.

LASN invites landscape contractors to comment on the Dark Sky issue by visiting www.landscapearchitect.com. The main page of the website features a section devoted to Dark Sky. Click on the story and use the ?EUR??,,????'?????<