Urban design

What does Stuttgart look like at night? This is the subject of StadtLicht planning. The lighting master plan for the city center serves as a guideline. In the state capital, in addition to the lighting of streets, paths and squares, typical city buildings are also illuminated for safety reasons. Designing with artificial light has a long tradition in the public space of Stuttgart’s city center. In 1881, the Stadtgarten was the first area to be equipped with electric light. This was followed in 1882 by Wilhelmsplatz in the center of Stuttgart. The first fountain to be equipped with electric light was the lantern of the night watchman’s fountain on Pfarrstraße in 1900.

There are three different types of light in Stuttgart:

• The municipal supply light: It is a “must light” for safety and orientation, regulated according to DIN standards. The first light has the task of illuminating traffic areas sufficiently brightly to enable road users to be aware of each other and of dangers in good time. In Stuttgart, the Civil Engineering Office is traditionally responsible for providing this light.
• Commercial light: This is the light of department stores, large companies, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and bars.
• The effect light: It is a characterizing, accentuating and atmospheric light. It is mainly used for city marketing. It can be used to highlight certain buildings and places. In contrast to the municipal supply light, this light can be used effectively limited in time and place on individual objects.

The street management areas in the public traffic area have now become an important economic component for the operators of catering businesses. As a result, the pressure of use has increased considerably in recent years. This effect will be further intensified by the amended Catering Act, after which retail establishments can also operate “permit-free catering”. The greater demand for catering space in public areas, which cannot be expanded at will, is creating ever-increasing competitive pressure among operators with regard to the design of street bars. Competition among restaurateurs for original furnishings has led to extremely negative side effects and changes in the cityscape.

The city of Stuttgart is countering this development with design guidelines: