FAQs
- community safety after hours
- enhance the sense of space, improve lighting levels in laneways and other locations as identified that ensure the community to stay longer to support local businesses after hours (i.e. outdoor dining, shopping etc)
- add vibrancy, colour and light to city streets at night
Why is the City undertaking this project?
Residents and visitor feedback has identified a number of areas of the city that can feel unsafe after dark. Feedback suggests that the primary reason is due to city workers vacating the city, together with a lack of well-lit spaces, particularly laneways, that create avenues for antisocial behaviour.
Further, the character of Perth’s laneways and the charm of its heritage buildings are unique to the City – they are a point of difference and cannot be replicated in suburban shopping malls or new suburban developments.
In acknowledgement of the need to improve a sense of safety while celebrating Perth’s urban characteristics, Council approved the Light It Up program on 15 December 2020, the objective of which is to improve lighting in laneways and other identified locations through the installation of permanent light artwork fixtures, which include seven permanent light artworks being installed across City neighbourhoods as part of Stage One of the ‘Light It Up’ program, with at least one of each of the seven light projects being installed in each neighbourhood precinct: Northbridge, Retail Core, West End, West Perth, Hampden Road, East Perth and Claisebrook.
Where will the installations be located
A survey will be extended to the community for a two week period, commencing 14 February 2021 to determine the feeling in the community as to the locations. Once the survey has closed, the City will evaluate the responses and make the final decision based on community feedback.
Who are the artist(s) engaged to develop the installations?
This information will be advised following an Expression of Interest process, due to commence 18 January to 22 February 2021.
Watch this space for updates.
Is this really the right time to be spending public money on art?
Community safety is of paramount importance to the City. The objective of the Light it Up program is to improve lighting in laneways and other identified locations through the installation of permanent light artwork fixtures with a focus on: