Developing a Method for Analyzing and Documenting Impact of Lighting on Livability of Cities: Case of Mashhad, Iran

The night phase of cities has traditionally hosted extra events and activities in history. However, urban night in the 21st century seems to host additional happenings, new users, and a wide range of new activities. This study investigates 24/7 cities and cities of lights throughout history and the notion of light in Persian culture and specifically in the case of Mashhad, the second-largest city of Iran. The city was observed at four scales, from inside houses to the urban facades and urban spaces and beyond the boundaries of the city in the context of cultural geographies of the Islamic world. The study brings up the theory of urban lighting affecting cities' livability by defining the area of influence of lighting on quality of life and puts a step toward providing a systematical framework for analyzing urban lighting of cities through qualitative and quantitative measures. Potentials of Cellular Automata to be used as a basis for creating an automated night map of the city are also examined. Three key concepts were identified: population growth pushes activities and users into the night phase of cities; authorities play a significant role in the formation of 24-hour districts, and ideologies and local culture can support and provide safety for urban nightlife. In the case of Mashhad, ideology seems to have played a crucial role in the formation of urban nightlife. At the same time, the financial and social aspects of developments are originally subordinate to the ideology.