In a large city like Stuttgart, around 65,000 light points illuminate streets, sidewalks and public spaces as soon as it gets dark. City lighting makes an important contribution to road safety: it helps drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to see their surroundings clearly in the dark. This maintains orientation and increases the feeling of safety. To protect the environment from the negative effects of artificial light, city lighting is regulated intelligently and in line with demand.
Stuttgart Netze (opens in a new tab) is responsible for the lighting in the state capital. The network provider plans and operates the street lighting on behalf of the civil engineering department.
Conversion to LED technology
Thanks to modern technologies, street lighting today consumes significantly less energy with better performance. LED technology in particular saves electricity, cuts costs and reduces unwanted light emissions. For this reason, the state capital of Stuttgart is gradually converting the lighting on all streets and sidewalks to modern LED lights - for greater sustainability and a future-proof infrastructure. As an innovative addition, the civil engineering department is currently testing an intelligent solar light that only reacts to movement at a location without a power connection.
By 2030, the entire city area is to be lit exclusively by energy-saving LED lights. This will reduce electricity consumption in Stuttgart by around 6.5 megawatt hours per year. This corresponds to around 40 percent of the current consumption of street lighting. To achieve this, Stuttgart Netze is currently replacing many street lights that have not yet been converted to LED. By using energy-saving LED technology, the city is taking a further step towards achieving climate neutrality by 2035.
Intelligent lighting at focal points
Every location has its own atmosphere and therefore places individual demands on the lighting. Especially in the evening and at night, it is important that everyone in Stuttgart can move around safely and relaxed. Many people are drawn to Stuttgart's city center late at night, especially at weekends. Intelligent lighting is therefore essential.
In the city center, the Office for Public Order has therefore installed a new lighting system in cooperation with the police in 2023. Using an app, the lighting at selected locations such as Eckensee and Kleiner Schlossplatz can be raised within a few seconds. This makes it possible to intensively illuminate hotspots as required.
Flexible solutions for the environment
Urban lighting not only affects safety and well-being, but also the environment and people. The brightening of the night sky by artificial light endangers the habitat of numerous animals, insects and plants. In the last 30 years, insect populations have declined by around 75 percent across Germany. The main cause of the decline in biodiversity is considered to be the decay of their habitats, which is also caused by light pollution.
The city is therefore committed to better protecting nocturnal animals and insects in their natural habitat. Flexible solutions such as motion detectors and switch-offs on selected routes outside urban areas protect endangered species from the negative effects of artificial light. People's day and night rhythms can also suffer from permanent lighting. In Germany, the illumination of the night has increased considerably in recent years, by around six percent per year. Needs-based lighting combines safety and well-being with environmental and species protection.
Working group coordinates urban lighting
Good lighting of public streets and sidewalks requires careful planning and continuous adaptation - in Stuttgart, the city lighting working group coordinates this task. Every month, the partners discuss how to regulate the lighting for current requests or new construction projects. They also decide where street lighting should be reduced to protect endangered species or on which special occasions it should be adjusted to create an atmospheric ambience.
Urban lighting is a complex interplay to which various specialist departments contribute their knowledge in order to find optimal solutions. The Civil Engineering Office, the Office for Urban Planning and Housing, the Office for Environmental Protection, the Garden, Cemetery and Forestry Office, the Office for Public Order, the Municipal Crime Prevention Department and Stuttgart Netze are all involved.
Frequently asked questions
Here you will find answers to the most important questions about urban lighting in Stuttgart.
Why are the lights switched off on some streets?
At what times is the lighting switched off at night?
What criteria were used to select the routes without light?
How does the administration ensure road safety when reducing lighting?
What influence does night-time lighting have on animals?
Why are trees not illuminated at night?
I feel unsafe on the path without lighting - who is responsible?
I feel unwell on my way home at night - where can I find help?
Faults and suggestions
Have you noticed a faulty luminaire or do you feel disturbed by the street lighting? Your help is the quickest way to rectify faults. You can easily report faults at any time on the Stuttgart Netze website. Thank you for your support!
