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Glow-in-the-dark roads

Cape Town- The Netherlands is flying the innovation flag high as light-absorbing glow-in-the-dark road markings have replaced streetlights on a 500m stretch of highway.

The design, announced in 2012 by Studio Roosegaarde has been described as “driving through a fairytale”.

According to Arstechnica this concept is still fairly new. Studio Roosegaarde has an even bigger vision to have road markings that include weather markings where (for example) snowdrop markings appear on the road when the temperature reaches a certain level. How amazing is that?

For now, the stretch of the N329 highway in Oss features the glow-in-the-dark road markings that have been created using a photo-luminescent powder integrated into the road paint. The glow currently lasts up to eight hours once powered through the day.

The aim of Studio Roosegaarde is to bring technology and design to the real world, with practical and beautiful results.

This reminds us of the World Design Capital initiative (which Cape Town currently holds the World Design Capital title) and the aim to use design to transform daily life for citizens. For more information on the WDC, check out our World Design Capital 101 page here.

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