In mid-July 2022, the Vienna city government department of economics, culture and youth, funded the Vienna Club Commission (VCC), collectively strengthening its impact on nighttime ecosystems. The VCC pilot project began in 2020 and has now progressed into a fully supported initiative with a 5-10 year plan, and funding of 300,000 € per year.

What does a Club Commission or Nighttime Advocacy Office do?

The key aim of the Club Commission is to strengthen and empower the nighttime communities, providing information and mediation between different venues, residents and organisations whilst ensuring that clubs are valued as socially and culturally significant to the city’s foundation.

Global nighttime advocacy offices are on the rise. The number of cities with nighttime advocacy organisations has increased by 30% in the last year. Check the Nighttime.org advocacy map for more information on the movement.

In the press conference last Thursday 15th, Veronica Kaup-Hasler, City Councilor for Culture and Science stated:  “I am pleased that the VCC has now started its work as a bridge between clubs and the city and as a firmly anchored contact and service point.” 

VibeLab is consulting the newly funded Vienna Club Commission.

Many new nighttime office models are based on the experiences developed in Berlin. For example, decentralised decision-making, community-led initiatives and non-hierarchal structures have proven to be a successful communication framework, over the last 20 years in Berlin — a city where clubs now share the same rights as cultural institutions. 

VibeLab’s co-founder Lutz Leichsenring has now been appointed the “Organisation Development Consultant”, for Vienna Club Commission, sharing knowledge and experience about nighttime advocacy.

What is the structure?

The overall concept submitted is based on three core points:

*In-depth Analysis of the Club and Event Scene in Community Sessions.

As a publicly transparent dialogue platform, the Vienna Club Commission sessions, which take place every three months, serve to present the activities and goals of the Vienna Club Commission to anyone in the community who wants to attend as well as target groups in the club scene, to encourage collaboration and the sharing of ideas.

At each VCC session, three focus groups are formed on specific projects, and the lead manager of the respective focus group is chosen by all those present. Information, needs and challenges, ideas and solutions are discussed in a structured manner, considering the various concerns.

•Organizational development and consulting 

With Lutz Leichsenring as an organisational development consultant, the Vienna Club Commission has the expertise of one VibeLabs internationally renowned services to guide and advise in a strategic partnership. 

• Independence of the team members 

In the focus groups, the Viena Club Commission receives direct input from the club and event scene. However, the core team consists of people without economic interests in the club scene, removing bias and guaranteeing neutrality and objectivity in the Vienna Club Commission services.

Quotes:

Quote for Lutz- “It’s an honour to support Vienna in the next steps of developing and supporting the club scene and to share the advanced learnings that we have experienced through chairing the Berlin Club Commission and founding VibeLab. Please be in touch if any other cities are interested in taking their nighttime office to the next level.”

The respective focus group projects are now going into the second round. This regular exchange of practical experience from the club and event sector provides the essential basis for the successful work of the Vienna Club Commission. To create utopias for unique club and event experiences in Vienna or to support the actions of the individual actors in the best possible way and that, in harmony with the city dwellers, prefer peace and quiet – that is the actively lived self-commitment of the VCC team.« Martina Brunner, co-management, content management, VCC

Focus Group Themes

The Safer Party – Safer Nightlife.
This focus group spent a quarter developing a survey on safety in Vienna’s nightlife scenes, which will be launched at the beginning of 2023. The focus groups addressed the first steps necessary to provide young people with low-threshold, consumption-free and music-related spaces.

Funding
The VCC website highlights current funding opportunities for club operators, organisers and cultural workers and the targeted focus groups relay this information effectively and support with applications.

Sustainability
Looking at event sustainability in terms of economic and ecological balance.

Following a successful pilot project, the new service and agency of the City of Vienna, the Vienna Club Commission, will now also become a permanent institution and will not only enable Vienna to get along better at night but will also position Austria’s largest city internationally and network. At this point, we thank the responsible city councillors and the respective club and event community for their commitment and support. Thomas Heher, co-management, commercial management, VCC

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In the last year, since the pandemic, eight new nighttime advocates have been appointed across Germany. Stuttgart, Osnabrück, Leipzig, München, Dortmund and Wiesbaden have joined the long list of cities that are acknowledging and acting to protect and improve nighttime activities in their cities. 

Although all of the night advocates focus on their cities’ specific needs, they all underline the need for more recognition and attention to the night. Their aim is to strengthen the communication between creatives and administrators, amplify the culture and protect the spaces that allow politics of diversity to happen. Following lockdown conditions and the immense impact, the pandemic had on creative communities, the increasing number of night advocates points to more inclusive and 24-hour cities.

Here are the lists of new night advocates and their respective cities:

1. Andreas Topp and Nils Runge – Stuttgart
2. Jakob Lübke – Osnabrück 
3. Nils Fischer – Leipzig
4. Kay Mayer – München
5. Christoph Stemann – Dortmund
6. Daniel Redin and Pascal Rück – Wiesbaden

With the addition of these names 11 cities in Germany now have night advocates protecting and promoting the night. Here are the existing night advocates:

• Robert Ga – Mannheim – Nightmayor
• Pamela Schobeß, Sascha Disselkamp, Marcel Weber, Lutz Leichsenring – Berlin – Clubcommission 
• Thore Debor – Hamburg – Clubkombinat
• Heiko Rühl – Cologne – Klubkomm
• Katrin Gruel – Leipzig – LiveKommbinat
• Matthias Morgenstern, Ansgar Fleischmann, Christian Baums – Frankfurt – Clubs am Main

If you want to know more about the night advocates in your cities, VibeLab has created a map in which you can see all the night advocates throughout the globe. If you want to know more about models of nighttime governance and how they could impact your city, we recommend reading Chapter Five of the Global Nighttime Recovery plan.

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Addressing nighttime safety through a gender-equitable lens. 

Are we still scared of the dark in 2022? 

Safety at night is a subjective issue that means something different to everyone. Whether it be getting home from the club, travelling to work, expressing your identity in a bar, being racially profiled, getting to a club, or taking a walk in your neighbourhood, feeling safe at night in the city is very different for everyone in every situation. 

What is the World Urban Forum? 

The World Urban Forum is a  conference established by UN-Habitat, to examine pressing issues facing the world today, such as rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

The topic of nighttime has been neglected at conferences that explore policy and urban planning. Yet it is now antiquated for governments and policymakers to not address life after dark. Since the pandemic, the world has woken up to the importance of nightlife and its capacity for providing safe(r) spaces to meet, share ideas, and build communities, identities, careers and livelihoods. In some way, the pandemic made people aware of the innate human need to socialise. Yet creating safer nights worldwide requires more attention, funding and support. 

The Night Walk, Katowice, Poland 

In collaboration with UN-Habitat, Safetipin, the European Forum For Urban Security and its Women In Cities Initiative, the City of Katowice, and a host of others, VibeLab orchestrated a night walk of Katowice where an estimated 200 eager participants from around the world showed up at dusk. Using the My Safetipin app, with Katowice as a testing ground, this night walk crowd-sourced information on women and gender minorities’ lived experience of the night, and used the city as a case study to learn about mobility and safety for the vulnerable – and thus the wellbeing of all.  

This walk used a simple, powerful, multilingual technical tool to gather insights from Katowice residents and visitors alike, accompanied by an informal discussion between safety and nighttime practitioners and policymakers from around the world on the topics of mitigating unsafe nights, creating safer public spaces and improving mobility for all. 

Good Nights: Rethinking Urban Safety, Wellbeing, and Community Through Culture After Dark

This event was the first session in WUF history focused on urban nighttime and was co-presented by VibeLab, the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus) and the Efus Women in Cities Initiative (WICI), the Global Parliament of Mayors, and UN-Habitat Safer Cities. 

The panel addressed what we can learn from the cultural driven aspect of nightlife and safety and brought it into a wider context of the World Urban Forum. The panellists contributing to the discussion explored the multiple definitions of safety. With virtual and IRL inputs ranging from people in public, private, cultural and civil society organisations. The discussion explored and highlighted how all these sectors can work together and how the expertise and lived to experience at night can offer alternative approaches to safer cities.

The discussion explored harm reduction, equality and inclusion, alternatives to policing, and the needs of women and gender minorities in urban space.

“The contribution of participative arts contributes to a safe city. Everyone wants to be useful and everyone wants to express themselves safely”

Barbara Holtmann

Key takeaways: 

• Making the connection between gender minorities, safety and the urban night is absolutely essential if we want cities to be sustainable
  
  
• Diverse and lively life at night creates better cities.
  
  
• Night culture and the people that create it can provide new solutions and new ways of understanding and managing the city.
  

• When looking at safety at night time do we measure what we want less of such as murder and violence, or do we measure what we want more of? Which is a cultural expression, activation, happiness or joy?
  
  
• The day has a lot to learn a lot from the night
  
  
• Cultural activation plays into the safety of spaces: Places that are well used feel safer than those that are empty
  
  
• Later opening hours are conducive to safer nights. When there is a 24-hour alcohol license, people don’t binge drink. It changes the behaviour around alcohol consumption, with a focus on experiencing the cultural offerings and slowly enjoying a drink. 

VibeLab and UN-Habitat Safer Cities’ are launching a  SAFETYLAB, where there will be further engagement opportunities. The safety lab connects urban policymakers to nightlife practitioners to explore how culture-centred urban interventions promote safer nights, social inclusion and community wellbeing. If you are interested in finding out more about the SAFETYLAB, get in touch with diana@vibe-lab.org

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The London Night Time Commission has called on the Mayor to establish a Night Time Enterprise Zone.

The Night Time Commission has stated that the increased use of the high street after 6 pm would make London more liveable, relieve pressure on London’s infrastructure and boost local businesses. Following a successful pilot in 2019, the Mayor is expanding his Night Time Enterprise Zones programme across the capital.

“In extending the active hours of the capital’s high streets, there is also an opportunity to ensure that night work is good work.”

These first steps in the city will:

• 📈 Boost recovery
• 🧑‍⚕️ Support night workers
• ✅ Ensure better access to high streets for all Londoners

Read the London Night Time Commission’s ‘Think Night‘ report.

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In March, we launched a short questionnaire on how the pandemic has affected different cities and some of the latest work agendas where our support could be most helpful. We may now share the results based on more than 50 replies that we received from over 40 cities**.

Global Nighttime Recovery Plan

During the initial stages of the pandemic, Chapter 5 – Nighttime Governance in Times of Covid-19 and its respective conference call were the most attractive of the series, slightly surpassing Chapter 1 – Managing Open Air Nightlife and Chapter 2 – The Future of Dancefloors.

These three chapters attracted the biggest share of respondents to the related online events  (around 80% each).

More than two-thirds affirmed to have been inspired by the compiled ideas or examples for their own work, which the majority used as references (written or oral) in city administration or academia.

Since time was often mentioned as the major obstacle to participation:

• If you still did not have the opportunity to read executive summaries per chapter and would like a shorter summary comprising all main points (i.e. visual format other than text, like an infographic), please let us know.

Recovery of nightlife activity in cities

Overall, the majority of respondents felt optimistic: about two-thirds replied that the level of nightlife activity in their city is back at 70% or more compared to pre-Covid (2019 = 100%). However, the remaining one-third felt less positive, with those thinking “it’s really bad” surpassing the ones that think it’s “better than ever” (see graph below).

Considering work agenda priorities, most respondents were setting up “grants and funding programs” as well as “nighttime safety”, followed by “awareness” (such as diversity and inclusion) and “changing laws and regulations”. Almost one-third of respondents were setting up a nighttime office or night mayor position. Despite the general increasing interest in wellbeing and mental health since Covid-19, “health and prevention” was surprisingly among the least voted priorities.

Helpful tools and upcoming priorities

To conclude, three instruments were identified as being the most helpful in nighttime recovery among roughly 60% of respondents:

• Collecting best practices from around the world; 
• Providing data on the economy, venues, and events;
• Leading awareness campaigns about night-time economy needs and challenges.

Moreover, the last open question identified the following emerging priorities in nighttime recovery efforts:

• Changes in demand due to long-term effects of Work From Home (physical/digital space, mobility, work-leisure hours)
• Global obstacles to recovery (scarce labor and supplies as a consequence of pandemic, inflation cannibalizing available budgets)
• International cooperation as a key solution
• Continuous support for advocacy work

We would like to thank all the participants once again for their valuable input. Stay tuned for VibeLab’s upcoming initiatives addressing many of the challenges mentioned above.

**Demographic

While more than half of the respondents were from Europe (with the UK, and London particularly, in the lead), about a quarter were from the US. Therefore, the majority of the respondents were from English-speaking countries.

In terms of professional occupation, more than half identified as Advocates (which included night mayors, club commissions, and activists), followed by Community (including artists and promoters). Both City (such as government) and Science (academia, scholars) appeared next, sharing the third place.

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The NTIA summit features over 100 speakers with panels and workshops that feature innovators and entrepreneurs from the global nighttime sector.

VibeLab’s Global Cities After Dark is hosting a stage on day two with four international panels that bring to the fore pioneering discussions surrounding creative communities and nightlife.

Friday 8th April

Panel 1: Rising up from the crisis. Nighttime recovery for cities, communities, and the industry.

Time: 10.30- 11.15 BST

The nighttime industries have been hit by pandemic-related restrictions on all levels, with dire consequences for the whole nightlife ecosystem and the in a broad sense the social, cultural, and economic life of cities and the people living in them. Now that the pandemic is somewhat under control, we want to talk about the recovery process for cities, communities, and the industry.

Moderator: Michael Kill (NTIA)
Helen Sildna (Director Tallinn Music Week)
Alessio Koliulis (The Bartlett Development Planning Unit)
Meike LeCoultre (Policy Advisor Arts & Culture for the City of Amsterdam)
David Lezhava (Act4culture)

Panel 2: Changing the narrative around the globe for nighttime safety & wellbeing

Time: 11.30 – 12.15

There is an expanding understanding that cities are not made safer through policies that involve prohibition, policing, or stronger security measures, but through a focus on sustainable urban development that takes into consideration wellbeing and inclusion. However, the dialogue between urban planners, decision-makers, and policymakers with the collectives and promoters who are actively organising nighttime activities are not happening enough. This panel brings together Juma Assiago from the UN-Habitat Safer Cities program, with leaders in community and nightlife initiatives whose initiatives and events foster ideals of diversity, inclusion, safety, and representation that are historically at the heart of contemporary nightlife and club scenes. The panel will explore approaches to community safety and wellbeing at night and highlight how interdisciplinary global and local spheres across various disciplines can connect better.

Moderator: Lutz (VibeLab)
Lu Ghebremariam (Club Commission)
Steven Braines (He She They)
Juma Assiago (Safer Cities Program at UN-Habitat)

Panel 3: The future of creative space ownership in the age of property speculations and sky rocking rents.

Time: 12.30 -13.15

People living in cities are facing drastic rent escalations, as neighborhood gentrification follows creative communities across the globe. Whilst property developers bask in the glory of increasing revenue in neglected or up-and-coming areas, a progressive land ownership movement that explores equitable alternatives to the current system is now taking hold. This panel explores different perspectives on the protection of creative spaces and communities and highlights pioneering avenues for doing so.

Moderator: –
Dr Anna Marazuela Kim (Futurecity)
Pedro Jardim (Land Purpose Forum)
Ella Overkleeft Trans (Europe Halles)

Panel 4: How to become a nightlife advocate. Interactive session hosted by VibeLab. Learn the ropes from aspiring and established advocates.

Time: 13.30 – 14.15

Since 2001, more than sixty cities have established nighttime commissions or individual leaders who act as innovators and strategic thinkers to ensure safety, cultural vibrancy, and economic development at night. But how does one get into this position and why do cities need them? How to remain informed in the role?

Moderator: Mirik Milan (VibeLab)
Holly Lester (Free the Night)
Sunil Sharpe (Give Us the Night)
Lutz Leichsenring (VibeLab)
Mathieu Grondin (Montréal 24/24)

Get tickets here!

Friday 8th April

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VibeLab’s Global Cities After Dark is proud to host day 2 at the NTIA‘s Nighttime Economy Summit, bringing an international focus to the conference in Bristol this April.

The two day event takes place on 7th & 8th April 2022 at Bristol Beacon in conjunction with Bristol City Council & Bristol Nights. Including over 100 speakers with panels and workshops that will feature innovators and entrepreneurs from across the global nighttime sector.

As the global nighttime sector moves into the recovery stages of the pandemic the summit will look at exchange of international perspectives and strategic approaches to recover in our cities, communities and industries at night. 

The industry is renowned for its resilience and ability to bounce back and internationally we are seeing ingenuity around generating creative spaces and the importance of ownership and funding for future stability. Partnerships similar to the one established between our organisations, are the key to collective international relations, where the cross fertilisation of ideas, standards and best practise will create a unified Global Night Time Economy movement.

Confirmed Speakers: 

David Lezhava, Act4culture, Tbilisi, Georgia 

Holly Lester, Free the Night, Belfast, Northern Ireland 


Juma Assiago, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, Kenya 


Lu Ghebremariam, Club Commission, Berlin, Germany 

Lutz Leichsenring, VibeLab, Berlin, Germany

Mathieu Grondin, Montreal 24/24, Montreal, Canada



Mirik Milan, VibeLab, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Pedro Jardim, Edith Maryon Stiftung , Berlin Germany

Steven Brainzo, (HE SHE THEY), London, UK


Sunil Sharp, Give Us the Night, Dublin, Ireland

Michael Kill (CEO NTIA) said:

“We have a ground zero moment in front of us, our collective voices across the international sphere of nightlife will present a new era of opportunities, where we can bring together leading minds from the night time economy on an international scale, and we are extremely excited to be working with Global Cities After Dark and VibeLab on the summit.”

Jane Slingo (Global Cities After Dark) said:

“Global Cities After Dark was founded on the need for international exchange to assist in navigating the challenges within the Night Time Economy.  Today we are experiencing the impact of war, a pandemic and repeated natural disasters in real time. It is called ‘nightlife’ for a reason. Life at night is a public good and essential for the well-being of people in all corners of the world. VibeLab and Global Cities After Dark are thrilled to present an international program at the NTIA’s first Night Time Economy Summit. More than ever, international collaboration and exchange is critical to navigate the challenges global nightlife communities are facing, in 2022 and beyond.”

More information here

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Before COVID-19 curtailed public nightlife in Philadelphia, members of the Weitzman School’s PennPraxis have been working on a civic engagement project to articulate a progressive nightlife. 

Now the City of Philedelphia is seeking somebody to step up to become the “Director of Business Development: Night Economy.” They will be responsible for serving as the Ambassador, problem solver and face of the city’s nighttime economy.

More info on the role: 

Philadelphia’s thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

 The role operates within the Business Development unit in the Department of Commerce.

The Director is charged with establishing and executing strategy to support, attract and retain businesses within the nighttime economy. This role marshals the resources required to balance safety, quality of life and vibrancy within the marketplace from across city government and in partnership with external partners.

• Managing a pipeline of business inquiries and leads, focusing on the night economy industry.
• Serve as a leader in coordination with other economic development partners and city agencies to support the needs of the nighttime ecosystem.
• Observes nightlife activity in various neighbourhoods and reports trends and impacts.
• Facilitates communication and promotes an atmosphere of trust, transparency, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.
• Recruits and guides new hospitality businesses through process of opening a new business understanding regulations and requirements.
• Organizes and promotes educational events and trainings; participates in stakeholders’ events.
• Liaise with and participate in research and the development of “Best Practices” for the nighttime economy at local, national, and international levels.
• Establish and meet with Night Economy Advisory Board to assist in shaping policy, marketing, and advocacy for the sector.
• Disseminates information using various social media platform and collaborating with the Director of Communications in Commerce.

Read the full job description here

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Natalie Mets is the new Nighttime Advisor for the Estonian Capital.

After seven to eight years of campaigning about the need for a nighttime advocacy role in Tallinn, Natalie Mets, has officially been appointed the position of “Nighttime Advisor” for Tallinn City Government. 

Natalie joined the Social Democratic party a year ago and is now the Nighttime Advisor working on an official nighttime strategy for the Estonian capital.

The key areas Natalie will be working on  in the new position are : 

• A fair support mechanism for nightclubs, music venues and other businesses operating during nighttime and helping them recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
  
  
• Introducing more nighttime leisure time activities  to do at nighttime. This could be anything from opening up sports grounds and parks to nighttime cinema and extended opening hours for museums.
  
  
• Accessible public space at night that meets everyone’s needs.
  
  
• Acknowledging that domestic violence and violence towards minority groups is also a  nighttime issue.
  
  
• Overall safety and order  in the city during nighttime

For more information, to connect with Natalie and the Global community of nighttime community advocates head to our interactive map of nighttime offices.

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The City of Amsterdam will issue a maximum of four new 24-hour permits in 2022. Businesses with a 24-hour license determine their own opening and closing times and are allowed to be open day and night. Innovative proposals can be submitted from now on.

The 24-hour permits were introduced in 2012 by the municipality of Amsterdam — with the night mayor as the driving force — to stimulate a vibrant day and nightlife in the city. There are now thirteen Amsterdam clubs and catering establishments with a 24-hour permit. That will be expanded to seventeen in 2022. What is new in this round is that two of the four 24-hour permits are intended for restaurants. Hopefully, this will lead to more places in Amsterdam where you can eat until late (or from very early on) — something we’ve been advocating for some time. 

To be selected entrepreneurs must write a plan before applying. The proposals will be assessed by a team of experts from the creative industry, including night mayor Ramon de Lima, and an official team. Among other things, the need for the permit is examined and whether it is innovative compared to the current offer. You can register until January 21, 2022.

The Global Nighttime Recovery Plan’s Chapter 3: Innovating For 24-Hour Cities examines the problems faced in creating safe and welcoming cities at night in the time of Covid-19.

When space for physical distance is in such high demand, creative time-based strategies that embrace the night hours can decongest valuable space and offer more economic and social opportunities. It is vital that municipalities, licensing and planning authorities, business groups and transit operators are proactive in addressing the three key areas of activation, illumination and movement in what is a fast-changing landscape of user behaviour and social norms

A healthy nighttime economy requires vision and design, planning, ongoing measuring and targeted communication campaigns. It must consider the needs of nightlife culture creators, participants and night workers alike. By addressing the three key areas of activation, illumination and movement – and accompanying them with ongoing surveys and communication campaigns – cities can not only bolster their night’s cultural offering, but increase the safety, desirability and economic viability of the city overall, so that the hours after dark are no longer feared or neglected, but embraced as a competitive edge. Now is the time for global cities to pick up the examples in this chapter and to adapt them to create their own solutions.

Read more from Nachtburgemeester

Download Chapter 3 of the GNRP

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