“Safety in footcandles” is the default mindset for illuminance. Such thinking is the bane of lighting designers and a major challenge when designing spaces for pedestrians. Lighting design based on pedestrian activities at night requires very different requirements from vehicular roadway-centric lighting. This session will explore the human interaction with contrast, color rendering, and glare reduction that shape and enhance the visual experience while protecting the environment. Participants will learn the basics of LED technology and become familiar with concepts to help evaluate LED lighting for future projects.

Speaker: Rick Utting is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Landscape Forms. From 2007 to 2019 Rick led the lighting program for Landscape Forms by emphasizing quality of light for people and the outdoor environment. As a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Rick is Vice Chair of the “Lighting for Exterior Applications” standards committee and a frequent speaker on the topic of outdoor lighting. Rick holds a Master of Science degree from Western Michigan University and thirty years’ experience directing product development that includes a U.S. Patent for low-glare and twelve luminaire design awards. In 2013, Rick created the Lighting Leadership Xchange, a university based event that fosters the exchange of information between lighting design professionals and students from undergraduate illumination programs.