An Emerging Cause for Advocacy: Night Life

"Night mayors" are working in cities around the world to improve relations between city government and the entertainment venues that can define urban living for many residents.

1 minute read

September 9, 2016, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


DJ dude

Pavel L Photo and Video / Shutterstock

"For all the value city dwellers place on great nightlife, it often feels like the venues, artists, and creatives behind this vital part of urban life are often misunderstood at best, and criticized at worst, by city governments," according to the beginning of an article by Patrick Sisson.

Sisson documents examples of an emergent advocacy movement in support of nightlife. In addition to groups like Berlin’s Clubcommission, "a group of 170 promoters and venues that banded together 15 years ago," many cities also now have so-called "night mayors."

Night mayors now exist in cities such as Paris and Cali, Colombia, and London put out an open call for a night czar. Perhaps the most well-known of this new breed of city official, Amsterdam’s Night Mayor (or Nachtburgemeester) Mirik Milan, organized a Night Mayor summit this past April that brought together 20 leaders from around the world.

The article includes a discussion about the ideas and agenda behind such advocacy positions. 

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