Unlocking the Potential
of 24-Hour Economies
Towards vibrant, prosperous, and resilient economies for every one, at every hour.
Economic revitalization
Activating the 24-hour economy unlocks new business opportunities, supports diverse job creation, and attracts private investment – revitalizing commercial districts and catalyzing growth and innovation.
Social wellbeing and livability
Improving quality of life through investment in infrastructure and public space, enhanced services, and more meaningful everyday experiences for the people who live, work, and move through the city
Adaptation and resilience
Cities are leveraging night-time hours as a space for adaptation—extending access to cooler, safer environments while investing in infrastructure that supports resilience and equity.
Fragmented governance
Most night-time offices remain peripheral to core city planning, with no shared standards or metrics. The lack of harmonized night-time policy often results in operational inefficiencies, unpredictable permitting or conflicting regulations that deter long-term investment
Time-bound infrastructure
Parks close at dusk, transit thins out and public lighting is inconsistent. Current urban infrastructure is still designed around a diurnal cycle. Upgrading design, safety and mobility system for 24-hour use is key to ensuring inclusive access and functionality.
Collaboration gaps
Cities, private actors and researchers often operate in silos. A 24-hour agenda depends on building trust-based partnerships that can co-develop shared platforms, open data, tools and metrics that can help scale solutions and translate them into policies and regulations.
Financing constraints:
Unlocking the value of 24-hour cities requires targeted funding. Multilateral development banks and other global institutions can play a catalytic role by offering low-cost financing and supporting capacity-building to help citiesmplement night-time strategies.