Light and illumination within urban areas significantly influence the quality of urban canyons, enhancing the city’s vitality. Moreover, incorporating appropriate lighting into urban planning can lead to a reduction in energy consumption. This study aims to concurrently assess visual comfort and energy consumption in urban canyons. The research employs both field studies and simulation analyses. The field study involves gathering data from pedestrians through questionnaires that focus on visual comfort, perceptions of urban lighting, preferred environmental quality, and lighting measurements. The Honeybee and Ladybug plugins for Grasshopper are utilized for illumination calculations. Field studies have demonstrated that shading and perceptions of light significantly affect visual comfort more than any other factors. An analysis of four urban canyons reveals that the height-to-width (H/W) ratio has the most significant impact on both illuminance and Daylight Glare Probability (DGP), followed by sky view factor (SVF). The most effective solutions identified for the DGP index include temporary measures such as additional shading and the incorporation of deciduous trees, which, on average, decrease DGP levels by 20.55% and 7.75% at various locations, respectively. Altering the materials used for building facades resulted in a notable reduction in energy consumption of 1.54%. Additionally, urban canyons with the greatest height-to-width ratios exhibit the lowest average overall energy consumption compared to other urban canyons, with this factor influencing energy use by approximately 23%. Generally, canyons that are shaded by trees, vegetation, and other shading elements, or have a higher height-to-width ratio, are considered to offer satisfactory visual comfort conditions.
