FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff has been awarded the prestigious Dark Sky Place of the Year award from DarkSky International. This recognition follows more than six decades of intentional stewardship of the City’s night skies, beginning when Flagstaff created the world’s first outdoor lighting ordinance in 1958. Following a proposal from the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition to create the program, Flagstaff was designated the world’s first International Dark Sky City on Oct. 24, 2001. Today, Flagstaff remains the largest such community by population and proves that cities can enjoy economic growth while conserving the nighttime environment for its residents and visitors.