Boston Considers a Less Gassy Streetscape
Replacement LED streetlights from the (remote) perspective of an architect.
~1,100 words, a six-minute read
Background:
If you don’t live in Boston, U.S.A, or do but don’t follow local news, the city basically has this idea about replacing its old gas lamp streetlights with LED based streetlights. I’m referring to the ones that are peppered all over old streets in some historic districts. Ostensibly, there are environmental concerns about continually pumping burning gas out of about 2,800 streetlights. (They’re on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.) The issue is important enough that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has weighed in on it, saying recently: “Together with our communities, we’re excited to explore how these electric streetlights can serve as an innovative tool in the fight against the current climate crisis.” The topic has also been generally covered here, and here, so I won’t bother too much with replicating information. With that in mind I should also stress something: if you are passionate about this in one way or another, seek out other sources on it besides this Substack. I am not professionally trained as a writer or journalist.
Needless to say, I think there is something important to be discussed here. That would be the merits and drawbacks of the current design proposal for the replacement lights.
On Wednesday evening (3/30/22), Bostonians had an opportunity to see a mock-up of the “new” streetlights, complete with operational LED bulbs. Ostensibly a public event to initiate conversation and debate, the city also launched a survey to garner feedback. Information was also provided in the form of a letter sized handout.
As an observer of the built environment, I’m pleased with the survey. It recognizes a certain amount of nuance in how the public should evaluate the new design. The first two questions ask about the light pole as a whole, but also about the light fixture specifically, or the ornamental housing that contains the bulb. The survey also asks about color temperature, which refers to the warmness or coolness of the light. In other words, how yellowish or blueish it is. Think of how a warehouse has “bluer” light than a yellow light from a domestic reading lamp, for example. Anyway, I didn’t see it in person so I have no idea whether it was too warm or too cold compared to the gas lamp. But if you live nearby, I recommend stopping by to see the mock-up for yourself. I believe it’ll be out at 212 Stuart Street for a while.
Perspective:
This whole situation resonates powerfully with me. Partly I think because it exactly reminds me of how I felt in the early 2010’s. When they stopped selling incandescent light bulbs. Was it the right thing to do, environmentally speaking? Most probably. Those things put out a heck-of-a-lotta wasted heat. But I remember feeling that something somehow would be lost with the transition. Frankly, incandescents just emitted a more pleasurable kind of light than LEDs at the time. That said, to their great credit, LEDs have improved immensely over the years. My wife once made a little experiment and forced me to discern LED light from incandescent light. I failed.
But to simplify this whole deal as a conflict between environment and comfort isn’t really grasping the full story either. Many issues emerge. Like questions about the nature of technological evolution, the importance of visual continuity through generations, and about what, precisely, is worth keeping, and what is worth changing. And when a desire to do both at once somehow collides in a mock-up unmistakably of the 2020’s: a shiny, new, prototypical ten foot tall 19th-century replica streetlight powered with the latest advancements in LED technology.
This streetlight drama is also undoubtedly about how many metric tons of emissions we’re willing to tolerate to make a public place feel a little more magical.
(Even if they get the color temperature right, I highly highly doubt LEDs could ever replicate the sublime fluttering of the gas lamps. Even the mere attempt to develop such an effect strikes me as kind of absurd. In any case, I don’t think this is being pursued so I guess I’m not the only one.)
And certainly, it’s also about how this is an issue contextualized in fancy neighborhoods. (That said, I know multiple people starting their first jobs who move to Beacon Hill because its aging rental apartments are far cheaper than the “luxury” new-construction buildings in other central areas. Another topic for another article, perhaps.) Rich-People-Problem memes featuring streetlights are probably coming your way. I think that sentiment is partly fair but partly not. Not, because it’s not like the lights in question are in someone's private living room or on streets of some inaccessible, distant, wealthy suburb. The streets of Beacon Hill are free and open to all and are seconds walk from two T stations. Probably some millions of Instagram likes accrue to photos of Beacon Hill. Maybe more. Many in the public-at-large know there is value for them in these streets.
Anyway, from what I heard, it sounds like the mock-ups have room for improvement. Apparently some wires are visible, which doesn’t sound very historically accurate. Also, the fact that they’re replacing the entire pole rather than some kind of tactical modification of the existing ones raises questions. In my opinion, this wouldn’t really fit the definition of a “retrofit”, as it was described in the handout. And has anyone looked at the possibility of laying new ultra high efficiency gas lines? Too expensive? Speaking of expensive, what private company is presumably building and installing and profiting off these things? From afar, that’s not obvious to me yet, but maybe you folks in Boston already know. Also, could someone from the city explain where all the projected savings in energy efficiency would go? (100% brick ADA curbs maybe? Too soon?)
In architectural, design, and construction industries, mock-ups are built to answer questions but also ask new ones. The LED streetlight prototypes are no exception.
Update - May 12, 2022: minor tweaks to this article have been made prior to my circulating it on other platforms.
© 2022 James Carrico