2026 Lighting Must-Read: Zoning, Time-Based and Tiered Approaches, Light Pollution, and Multi-Pole Integration—What Do the Policies Really Say?

Recently, the policy landscape in the lighting industry has been buzzing: Nanjing’s new regulations officially took effect in February this year, Hangzhou’s revised special plan for lighting was approved by the municipal government in September, and Shanghai’s management measures for integrated poles have already come into force.

So what is the national tone? And where have local governments reached? Today, we’ll clarify the policy framework at both the national and local levels in a single article.

01

National Level: The Tone Was Set Decades Ago

Many people assume that “restricting illumination” is a recent development, but in fact, the national government has long had a clear strategy:

• The Regulations on Urban Lighting Management (Order No. 4 of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, effective July 1, 2010) — a foundational departmental regulation in the urban lighting sector — sets forth principles of “people-oriented, economical and practical, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, and aesthetically enhancing,” strictly controls energy consumption for decorative landscape lighting on public facilities and large buildings, and mandates the establishment of tiered, time-based, and zoned energy-saving lighting control measures. This serves as the “parent law” for local lighting management rules.

  
  

• The General Office of the State Council’s Notice Forwarding the Opinions of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development on Strengthening the Management of Urban Landscape Lighting (Guobanfa [2019] No. 7) — directly addresses the issue of “illuminated vanity projects,” strictly prohibiting the construction of ultra‑high‑energy‑consumption, oversized, excessively bright light shows that cause severe light pollution, while guiding localities to establish Dark Sky Protection Zones and set limits on brightness, power density, and light pollution right at the planning stage.

  
  

• The General Office of the State Council’s Notice on Strengthening Energy‑Saving Management of Urban Landscape Lighting (Guobanfa [2021] No. 41) — focuses squarely on the “money bag” of electricity use: scientifically regulates the on/off schedules of landscape lighting, promotes tiered and differentiated lighting strategies, allows for reduced operating hours during periods of tight power supply, and makes intelligent centralized control a standard practice.

  
  

In short, the national stance has remained consistent for over a decade: prioritizing functional lighting, with landscape lighting following the principle of “light when needed, dark when appropriate.”

02

Technical Standards: The “Ruler” for Dark Sky Protection

The Standard for Urban Lighting Construction Planning CJJ/T 307-2019 (a Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development industry standard) divides urban lighting into four regulatory zones—Dark Sky Protection Zone, Restricted Construction Zone, Moderate Construction Zone, Priority Construction Zone—and sets quantitative requirements for light environment indicators, spill light, and glare. Local authorities generally use this standard as the technical basis when designating Dark Sky Protection Zones.

03

Local Practices: Worth Paying Close Attention To

Under the national framework, local governments have been rapidly implementing policies over the past two years. Here are a few representative examples:

Nanjing: A New Regulation Just Rolled Out This Year—Worth Watching

The Measures for Urban Lighting Management of Nanjing City (Municipal Order No. 352, issued December 20, 2025, effective February 1, 2026) is one of the newest municipal lighting regulations in China.

Its core design divides the city into Priority Construction Zone, Moderate Construction Zone, Restricted Construction Zone, and Dark Sky Protection Zone. In the Dark Sky Protection Zone, new landscape lighting is generally prohibited; only essential cut-off type functional lighting is allowed. Quantitative lighting targets are also clearly defined, imposing strict constraints on light pollution right from the planning stage.

An additional signal worth noting for peers: the regulation explicitly encourages leveraging urban lighting infrastructure to develop low‑altitude economies, vehicle‑road‑cloud integration, roadside charging, and other smart city applications—expanding the potential uses of streetlights.

Hangzhou: A Veteran Player in “Dark Skies”

Hangzhou was among the first cities in China to incorporate the concept of “Dark Sky” into its urban lighting plans—proposed in 2013, enshrined in government regulations in 2017, and codified in a 2019 plan that designated nine types of Dark Sky Protection Zones, including Xixi Wetland and Liangzhu Archaeological Site, where landscape lighting is strictly forbidden.

In September 2026, the Hangzhou Municipal Government approved the Special Plan for Urban Lighting (Revised) (2026–2035) (Hangzhenghan [2026] No. 102), ensuring that the Dark Sky philosophy continues to guide the latest round of planning.

The West Lake scenic area limits annual illuminated days to 10%, while other areas cap the number of lights turned on at any given time to below 50%—“precise light control” is the key phrase of this plan.

Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou: Each Has Its Own Approach

Shenzhen: The Measures for Urban Lighting Management of Shenzhen City (Municipal Order No. 309, implemented in 2018) together with the Special Plan for Urban Lighting (2021–2035) (released in 2021) delineate policy zones and set corresponding light environment limits. Xiyong became China’s first international Dark Sky Community in 2023, serving as a benchmark case for dark sky protection.

Shanghai: The Plan for Landscape Lighting (2024–2035) (announced in January 2024) divides the city into core, important, other, and no‑construction zones, defining three lighting modes for regular days, holidays, and major events. Ecological areas like Chongming Dongtan are designated as no‑construction zones. Accompanying this is the Measures for Integrated Pole Facilities of Shanghai (Hu Jian Gui Fan [2025] No. 14), which came into effect on January 1, 2026, providing formal management guidelines for multi‑pole integration.

Guangzhou: The Measures for Urban and Rural Lighting Management of Guangzhou City (Municipal Order No. 168, implemented in 2019) adopts differentiated on/off management for landscape lighting, moderately extends lighting hours during holidays, and builds a citywide smart lighting control platform.

Suzhou: The Measures for Landscape Lighting of Suzhou City (Su Fu Gui Zi [2021] No. 3, amended in June 2025) implements three-tiered time‑based control for normal days, statutory holidays, and major events, while simultaneously advancing pole consolidation in the ancient city district.

Moreover, newly revised lighting management measures in Yancheng, Changchun, Yiyang, and other locales also commonly include zone‑based, time‑based, and tiered control; prohibitions against excessive lighting; and promotion of smart streetlights—policy directions have become highly aligned.

04

Three Takeaways for Industry Peers

First, “orderly light and dark” is replacing “the brighter, the better.” Nighttime urban development is shifting from pursuing visual impact to embracing green, low‑carbon, and smart, resource‑efficient approaches. During the planning review phase of landscape lighting and cultural‑tourism illumination projects, the weight given to brightness, spill light, and light pollution indicators will continue to rise—designers must carefully consider these three factors from the very beginning.

Second, dark sky protection is not a disadvantage. Places like Xiyong’s Dark Sky Community and Hangzhou’s Dark Sky Protection Zones are themselves becoming cultural‑tourism IPs. Teams skilled in dark sky design and ecological lighting constraints actually gain an added edge in differentiation.

Third, smart multifunctional poles represent the most certain growth opportunity. From Nanjing’s “roadside charging,” Shanghai’s integrated pole management, to Wuxi’s “drone + integrated pole + AI inspection” projects, lighting poles are evolving into roadside sensing platforms for smart cities. Industry opportunities are expanding beyond simply “selling luminaires” to “offering comprehensive roadside solutions.”