Interactive lighting

Imagine: In the evening you walk through a park, surrounded by enchanting lighting that responds to your presence. This park has been a reality in Rotterdam since November 18, 2019.

The municipality of Rotterdam developed an interactive green strip in the Reyeroord district together with Plant-e and designer Ermi van Oers (Nova Innova), where electricity-producing plants respond to the presence of passers-by. Small lights will twinkle on the plant stream as people pass by.

Rotterdam is the first city worldwide to realize a park with interactive lighting based on plant current. In the Reyeroord district, residents looked at the layout of the green area, from the type of planting to the benches. It is one of the innovative projects in the IJsselmond district.

With the Park of Tomorrow, the municipality of Rotterdam, Plant-e and Ermi van Oers want to encourage the use of greenery in the built environment and bring people more into contact with their environment. Nature should become an experience for passers-by, from which inspiration can be drawn. Councilor Bert Wijbenga: “Investing in innovation is important. We don't yet know whether plants can really be used as an energy supplier in the future, but we are definitely making a start with this project."

The lighting may not always work, the councilor emphasizes: “Nature cannot be rushed; If the bacterial growth does not cooperate or the weather is bad, the lights may not work. Monitoring is also part of this exploration.”