The Flagstaff Solution is a four-pronged approach:
- A concise, effective, and enforceable lighting code, (or codes and engineering guidelines), supported by
- Community policies,
- Fiscal and staffing resources to assure that policies and codes are effectively implemented, and
- A Community “Dark Sky Ethos,” fostered through engagement of diverse sectors of the community with the “Culture of Night,” to provide the vital grassroots support for the entire project.
1. The Lighting Code – A Natural Place to Start
All four components, though ultimately vital for success in protecting night skies, cannot practically be created in a single step. It is natural for most communities who have become aware that dark skies are an important resource to protect or restore to turn to developing the regulatory standards that define outdoor lighting practices in a way that protects the night – the lighting code.
When a community incorporates and establishes the codes that govern construction (the building code, electric code, plumbing code, etc.), there are authoritative sources that provide professionally developed and legally sound code standards for communities to adopt with at most minor amendments or additions. Unfortunately, the dark sky movement has not developed such an authoritative source. As a result, nearly all communities take some lighting code that they have become aware of, or some model or pattern offered by some organization with limited legal or technical expertise, and set about “tailoring it” to fit what are envisioned as their own “unique needs,” “community values,” and circumstances. Besides the often weak starting point, this approach to in-house “tailoring,” implicitly assuming that effective dark sky protection requires value- or priority-based compromise to the effectiveness of outdoor lighting, has led to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lighting codes that are poorly written both legally and technically, and in general unable to achieve the goal of dark sky preservation.
The published evidence of relentless night sky deterioration over the last 20 to 30 years shows the result.
Flagstaff’s lighting code has proven its effectiveness at dark sky protection, legal clarity, and accommodation of sufficient and effective outdoor lighting. To take advantage of TFS, your first step should be to implement a clone or near-clone of this code. FDSC highly recommends against the practice of “tailoring the lighting code to meet community priorities or values.” Because the purpose in adopting a lighting code for everyone is the same – protecting the night – and the idea that it should be tailored, effectively compromising these protections, to meet some other need is based on the misguided perception that effective dark sky protecting lighting standards require compromise or sacrifice of other community needs for visibility, utility, or safety. They do not. Further, attempting to tailor a lighting code in nearly every case damages critical wording or structures that make the lighting code ultimately less effective, even in some cases unenforceable at least in part.
THE FLAGSTAFF LIGHTING CODE AND ANALYSIS
2. Dark Sky Policy
After adopting the lighting code, or even at the same time as discussions about the lighting code are underway, the community’s policymakers (e.g. city Council or County supervisors) should be developing policies that acknowledge and define the community values and policies that support adoption of the lighting code.
3. Supporting Resources
Any community that expects the lighting code to achieve its aim, must identify and allocate resources to assure effective ongoing implementation.
There is a (limited) role for dark sky advocacy NGO(s) but must avoid fostering the sense that the Lighting Code or policies are “theirs,” or meant to address the concerns of a narrow segment of the community.
FLAGSTAFF IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
4. A Community Dark Sky Ethos
Finally, the community foundation that maintains the grassroots support needed to maintain the commitment and resources to achieve and maintain dark night skies.
This is where there is a major, even leading role, for the dark sky NGO.
Resources
White papers, publications, links etc. relevant to TFS issues