Thomas Phifer and Partners’ LED City Lights Hit the Streets of Lower Manhattan

New York City is constantly under construction and this time it's for a great green reason! Six years after winning an international design competition, <a href="http://www.tphifer.com/#/home" target="_blank">Thomas Phifer and Partners</a>' LED street lamps, aptly named <a href="http://www.tphifer.com/#/city-lights" target="_blank">City Lights</a>, are finally popping up all over Lower Manhattan with the help of the city's <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/html/home/home.shtml" target="_blank">Department of Design and Construction</a> and the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/home/home.shtml" target="_blank">Department of Transportation</a>. The new lamps are not only super slim and efficient, but pretty cool looking, too!

In 2004, Thomas Phifer and Partners beat out 200 other participants from 23 countries with the most innovative and cost effective design for New York City street lights. The <a href="http://www.ledsmagazine.com/features/1/12/2" target="_blank">competition</a> did not even require the design to be eco-friendly but the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode" target="_blank">LED lamps</a> took the cake.

The design's ultra slim oval shape includes state of the art hi-flux LED technology. Each light contains tiny linear arrays of LEDs that are grouped together into four segments, providing the ultimate range of illumination for the street below.

The oval shape of the profile also allows for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_sink" target="_blank">heat sink</a>, preventing the lamps from overheating or contributing to the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island" target="_blank"> urban heat island </a>effect when New York begins to blister in the warmer months.

The design also includes an ingenious modular fitting pole. Long and short arm components can be interchanged making it easier to repair or adjust bulbs quickly and efficiently.

The average life of an LED light exceeds 50,000 hours, requiring minimal maintenance and pesky bulb replacements. Unlike their predecessors, the new lights contain no mercury and will not produce harmful ultraviolet rays, making them much safer for city-dwellers.

The new LED CityLights will eventually be spread throughout the streets, sidewalks, and park in all five boroughs, paving a way for a bright New York City future.