Decision Support Information System for Urban Lighting

Aim/Purpose This paper describes an information system for the maintenance and management of municipal lighting systems that also serves as a decision support system for reducing power consumption on urban lighting. Background Many municipalities are financially constrained and unable to invest in improving their lighting infrastructure. We propose a very efficient and inexpensive way to set up the database and provide city leaders with tools to improve their system efficiently. Methodology An information database for the data management and an Integer Programming model for deriving the optimal investment plan. Contribution This paper contributes to the fields of urban economics and sustainability. Findings Informing management and workers about the status of the system and how to optimize it will reward the city with considerable savings and improve the service quality. Recommendations for Practitioners The application of this model, even in a small scale such as a neighborhood can improve citizen’s quality of life without a heavy burden on the city budget. Recommendation for Researchers There is a growing need for cost-effective means to improve urban management. Innovative ideas that meet these goals should be researched and developed. DSS for Urban Lighting 110 Impact on Society First, it allows reduction in carbon emissions and light pollution by reducing power consumption and over-luminous lighting levels. Second, financially constrained municipalities can manage their systems at a very low cost. Future Research A full scale application is needed in order to evaluate the city-wide benefits of the system.