The push-button system used overseas is one thing that I'd like the US to adopt.
For those who haven't seen it, at each level in a stairwell there is a button that you push for light. This button is tied into a timer in the panel, and allows the lights to be on for enough time to make it to the next level (usually!).
The only improvement I'd make is to illuminate those push buttons!
Here in the US, stairwell and hall lights are usually always on, and do not usually have any switches accessible to the public.
Buildings that are not usually occupied may have combination timer/switches; you turn the dial, and you have light for a timed interval.
There is also a move toward motion sensors to activate lights in public areas.
One of the downsides of the US "always on" method is that managers often either put in the smallest bulbs they can find, or remove bulbs from most of the fixtures. The result is, of course, dim hallways. The pathetic diodes in the "Exit" sign are often the brightest light in the hall.
