People colour Ala-Malmi park with light

In Helsinki, from November 2022, the citizens of the city could influence the lighting in Ala-Malmi park, next to Malmitalo. We tested a user interface in the area, the likes of which has never been tried in Finland before. Thanks to it, anyone can change the colour of the lights in the park with their smartphone.

Playful smart lighting attracted visitors to Ala-Malmi park and increased the comfort of the area. Colourful lights could enliven events in the park and Malmitalo in the future. They could also extend the event season from summer to fall and even winter. A practical experiment will reveal how city dwellers accept the opportunity to adjust the lighting of public outdoor spaces themselves. In addition, ideas are collected on where smart colour lighting could be used in the future.

"Lighting has been a static part of the urban environment, i.e. light is either there or not. The same has also applied to areas illuminated by lighting designers. Now city dwellers are offered the opportunity to influence their environment", says the CEO of C2 SmartLight Oy Jorma Tuuna-Väiskä.

C2 SmartLight Oy is responsible, among other things, for the outdoor lighting control solution for the city of Helsinki. Experimentation, on the other hand, is part of it Fiksu valo, viisas katu -trial program, where innovative lighting and sensor solutions for Helsinki have been tested also before. The program has tested solar-powered outdoor lighting and sensors that evaluate street slipperiness in Malminkartano.

Tuuna-Väiskä believes that the experiment in Ala-Malmi park will provide information on what colours of light the city's residents like and how they use self-controlled lighting.

"We will follow with interest and learn from how the experiment is received and whether there is a need for this type of use," Tuuna-Väiskä says.

The trial program is a part Fiksu kaupunki -project. The project brings innovation and smart urban development to the urban renewal areas of Malmi, Mellunkylä and Malminkartano-Kannelmäki, as well as Pasila. The project is implemented in cooperation by Forum Virium Helsinki and the City of Helsinki.