Your city works hard all year to look its best by day—but what about after sunset?
Most municipalities spend months maintaining medians, repainting curbs, and sprucing up green spaces. But as soon as the sun sets, much of that effort fades into shadow. That’s why more public works teams are investing in strategic outdoor lighting.
It's not just for winter, but for summer, too.
💡 Pro Tip: Studies show that increasing lighting helps develop public perception of safety.
Table of Contents
- Summer Lighting Helps Drive Tourism for Cities
- Explore Strategic Urban Lighting This Summer
- Public Works Will Love This Lighting Upgrade
- Commercial-Grade Lighting Makes All the Difference
- Start Planning Now
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Summary
Summer Lighting Helps Drive Tourism for Cities
Come January, while most cities are winding down from holiday installs, savvy public works teams are already looking ahead to summer. And not just to roadwork or landscaping. Increasingly, municipalities are recognizing that the same principles that make winter light displays so effective—atmosphere, visibility, identity—can be strategically applied to summer spaces, too.
Think about your own community. Is your downtown vibrant after 6 p.m.? Do your parks, plazas, or waterfronts invite people to linger once the sun sets? Or are your most promising civic spaces underutilized simply because they go dark?
That’s where summer lighting comes in—not just decorative strings of bulbs, but purposeful, durable lighting systems that elevate public life. When done right, these installations increase foot traffic, extend business hours, support tourism, and enhance public safety, all while reinforcing a sense of civic pride.
💡 Pro Tip: Do a pilot project on one building to help sway your city council in favour of a larger project.
Explore Strategic Urban Lighting This Summer
In many towns and small cities, summer is high season—but most of that energy evaporates after dark. A well-lit canopy across a market street, warm ambient bulbs under a boardwalk, or color-shifting LEDs on a civic building can transform the night into something inviting. It’s not about adding flash. It’s about adding intent.
Cities that invest in these types of upgrades see measurable returns. Downtown businesses report more evening traffic. Residents feel safer walking in lit corridors. Out-of-towners are more likely to stop, stay, and share their experience online. It’s civic design as economic development—quiet, efficient, and low-maintenance.
Public Works Will Love This Lighting Upgrade
Cities invest heavily in beautifying their public spaces for the holidays—parks, community centres, light festivals. But when winter's over, much of that investment disappears with the takedown crew.
💡 Pro Tip: Ask Big Star Lights' staff on recommendations for professional installers in your area.
That’s where smart, permanent summer lighting comes in. Not only can you keep it up year-round, you can also customize it for different holidays to appeal to all your constituents.
It also means more flexibility. With permanent RGB fixtures like Big Star’s Chromaglow Pro, your city can mark cultural moments, awareness days, or even sports team wins without touching a ladder. Program warm white ambiance in the summer and multicolor celebrations during the holidays.
So instead of budgeting every season for short-term installations, invest once in infrastructure that performs year after year. It’s a smarter use of staff time, a cleaner use of public funds, and a more impactful way to light your city.
Commercial-Grade Lighting Makes All the Difference
Not all lights are created equal. And not all are suited for civic use. Public works departments need products that won’t fail after one season, that can handle the weather, and that don’t require constant maintenance.
Big Star Lights specializes in commercial-grade systems built for exactly this use case. Our stretch string lights, for instance, feature UV-resistant bands perfect for wrapping trees that continue to grow. Our G50 filament bulbs offer long life and warm color temperature, ideal for gathering spaces. And our Chromaglow Pro permanent lighting gives cities a way to celebrate local events, sports wins, or cultural holidays—all year round—with programmable, full-spectrum color.
Everything is backed by a 5-year seasonal warranty, because we know what it’s like to get that “your lights are out” call on a Friday night. Most of us at Big Star are former installers or project leads. We’ve been there, and we’ve built this company to make your job easier.
| Feature | Big Star Lights | Typical Competitor |
|---|---|---|
| UV Resistance | ✅ | ❌ |
| Water Resistance | ✅ | ❌ |
| Light Quality (lumens/watt) | High | Medium |
| Warranty | 5 Years | 1–2 Years |
| Civic Discount | ✅ | ❌ |
Start Planning Now
If you’re reading this in June, you’re right on time. Summer budgets and procurement cycles are the best time to start lining up product and installation windows for summer activations. Whether you want to test a small pilot project or overhaul multiple downtown blocks, the key is to think about light not as decoration, but as infrastructure.
Lighting is one of the few city investments that immediately improves aesthetics, safety, economic opportunity, and civic pride—all with relatively low overhead and high public satisfaction. And the best part? Unlike art or street furniture, it shows up at night, when people remember the feeling most.
💡 Pro Tip: Plan installs for spring or early summer to avoid cold-weather complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can these lights handle year-round exposure?
All our products are built for tough North American winters and some are warrantied to be used year-round. If you're unsure, give us a call at 1-888-444-4081 to inquire.
Q: Do you offer support with layout and installation planning?
Absolutely. Our team works directly with municipalities to create spec sheets, draft install plans, and recommend local contractors when needed. Book a 1:1 call here.
Q: How does this affect energy use?
Our LEDs are low-wattage but high-output, meaning you get warm, bright ambiance with minimal draw: perfect for sustainability goals.
Summary
- Summer lighting increases tourism, dwell time, and safety
- Canopy, patio, and RGB lighting enhance engagement and civic pride
- Big Star Lights offers durable, visually striking solutions
- Start planning as early as January for summer installs