What Would Cities Around the World Look Like if We Turned Off All the Lights? [PHOTOS]

Above: San Francisco

It’s hard to imagine what today’s biggest and busiest cities would look like if they turned off all the lights. But French photographer and designer Thierry Cohen gives us an idea of this starlit world in his series entitled “Darkened Cities.” These photographs depict some of the world’s most popular cities at night, without any lights.

Cohen photographs the cities’ landmarks and skylines and then digitally alters the photos to visualize our world in the dark, with absolutely stunning starry night skies blanketing the urban landscape. In an article featuring his series, Cohen told the New York Times that the hustle and bustle of city life, the need for electricity, and the pollution engulfing our planet has created a modern who “forgets and no longer understands nature.” He explains that his work reminds us that the universe exists. “To show him stars is to help him dream again,” Cohen says.

Perhaps these photos, and ones similar to them, can not only inspire humans to begin dreaming again, but also revive our appreciation for the planet and the environment.