Louisville 2023 Outdoor Lighting Ordinance

City Council held a public hearing on the dark sky ordinance on October 2, 2023. You can find the video here.

What do you think about dark sky lighting? We want to know!

The City of Louisville is drafting a dark-sky lighting ordinance to regulate outdoor lighting. This project was started in fall 2021 and was put on hold in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire.

At a public hearing on August 10, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the dark sky lighting ordinance to Council. The Commission specifically recommended the updated Option 2 for compliance, which you can read on this webpage.

The next step is review by City Council. The item will be publicly noticed ahead of the City Council hearing.

Please send comments to planning@louisvilleco.gov or to abrackett@louisvilleco.gov.

Get involved!

• Thank you to everyone who provided comments on the first three drafts of the ordinance, attended the April Open House, replied to the survey, attended Planning Commission hearings, and gave input at other events and over email. Staff estimates that over 250 individuals have provided comments on the project to date. The ordinance drafts include several changes based on public input, which are summarized in the summary report in the Draft Ordinance & Survey Responses section of this webpage.
• The Draft Ordinance & Survey Responses section also includes full survey results and the staff presentation at the open house.
• Learn more about dark sky regulations:
  • Explore the Helpful Documents section of this website.
  • Read about what other cities are doing.
  • Watch this short video on "smart lighting" for safety and this in-depth presentation on outdoor lighting from the National Institute of Crime Prevention.
  • Learn how to select dark sky lighting for your home improvement projects.