valguses

Valguses is a fictional cultural and design philosophy used in speculative fiction and world-building contexts to explore the social and aesthetic role of light in urban life. In this usage, valguses denotes both a conceptual emphasis on illumination as a public good and a set of practical guidelines for spaces, artifacts, and rituals that shape how communities experience light.

Etymology: The term valguses is a coined neologism created for narrative purposes. It does not correspond to a widely used real-world word, and in most texts it is treated as a proper noun.

Overview: The central idea of valguses is that daylight and artificial light are fundamental to well-being, safety, and civic identity. Proponents advocate architectural and urban designs that maximize daylight, employ materials that transmit or reflect light effectively, and remove barriers that hinder visual access in public spaces.

Origins and influence: The concept often appears in speculative fiction as a response to imagined energy constraints or climate considerations. It serves as a lens to examine how control over light—through policy, technology, and design—shapes power, governance, and daily life.

Principles: Valguses emphasizes accessible light for all, the durability and recyclability of luminant materials, inclusive visibility, and transparent governance of public illumination. Practices associated with valguses include daylight-focused urban planning, light-responsive public art, and cultural rituals that mark solar and lunar cycles.

Criticism and reception: Critics describe valguses as utopian or technologically deterministic, while supporters argue it provides a constructive framework for sustainable, humane environments and inclusive design.

See also: daylight, luminous architecture, light-based design, urban planning, energy efficiency.