Thriving 24/7 Economy| Toolkit

Thriving 24/7 Economy

Toolkit

A curated repository of knowledge on how cities and businesses manage round-the-clock environments.

Glossary

A collection of key terms and concepts designed to help cities navigate the diverse knowledge, tools, and materials in this toolkit. It builds a shared language for understanding and shaping the urban night.

Knowledge repository

Your one-stop destination to learn, plan, implement, and measure 24-hour economies.

Every city and business has its own goals when it comes to developing a 24-hour economy. Explore curated resources tailored to your needs—whether you're learning from others, planning your next steps, implementing solutions, or measuring performance.

Filter by Location and Focus Area to find the most relevant insights for your context.

Shanghai's Time-Based Outdoor Dining Initiative

April 2026, China

Case Studies & Research

Real-world examples and empirical studies.

Strategies, Frameworks & Guidance

Strategic plans, policies, toolkits, and frameworks for implementation.

Data & Learning Platforms

Interactive dashboards, data visualization and mapping tools, participation platforms, and training programs

Benchmarking & Comparative Insights

Comparative tools, indexes, and performance measurement reports.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) commissioned Publica to create the most ambitious night time guidance produced by any city in the world. It sets out the many benefits for councils, communities and businesses, of creating diverse and inclusive night time plans together, with step-by-step guides and case studies from across the globe on how this can be achieved.The guidance falls into two parts:Part One: Guidance on ProcessPart Two: Guidance, precedents and case studies

London: Night-Time Strategy Guidance

Greater London Authority City to Sea

The refreshed strategy builds on the work done by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner over the last few years and sets out a new vision for the state’s vibrant nocturnal landscape – one that focuses on improving amenities for night-time workers, champions First Nations storytelling and puts an emphasis on data and measurement.

NSW 24-Hour Economy Strategy: A new state of night

NSW Office of the 24-Hour Commissioner

The Night-Time Economy Strategy Template is designed to support council officers in New South Wales (Australia) in developing or refreshing local night-time economy or 24-hour economy strategies.

Night-Time Economy Strategy Template

NSW Office of the 24-Hour Commissioner

This Philadelphia Nighttime Economy Impact Study marks the first comprehensive evaluation of Philadelphia’s nighttime economy, examining a broad range of sectors including hospitality, arts, culture, sports, manufacturing and essential services. Key findings include:Economic Output: An estimated $26.1 billion in total annual economic output in Philadelphia.Local Job: Approximately 132,000 jobs supported, generating $9 billion in wages for local workers.Tax Revenue: $358.8 million in annual tax revenue for the City of Philadelphia and $570.2 million for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia After Dark: Key Drivers and Trends in the Night-Time Economy

In 2020, 1,580 New Yorkers died from a fentanyl-involved overdose. The presence of fentanyl in the NYC drug supply has dramatically increased and is now the most common drug involved in accidental overdose deaths. Anyone who uses drugs that contain fentanyl, even occasionally, may be at risk of overdose. It has been found in different drugs like heroin, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, ketamine, and pills.The Narcan® Behind Every Bar campaign helps bring life-saving opioid overdose prevention training, tools and resources to the nightlife and hospitality community as part of NYC’s harm reduction approach to substance use. This initiative is managed by the NYC Office of Nightlife (ONL) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) in partnership with the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

Narcan behind every bar

The Global Nighttime Recovery Plan (GNRP) is a collaborative guide that empowers cities to design and implement safe strategies for reopening their creative and night-time economies. With the input of over 130 experts from 70 cities worldwide, the interactive platform shares frameworks, tools, and practices.

Global Nighttime Recovery Plan

The regulation of Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) in New South Wales aims to formalise and manage late‑night precincts through council-led precinct plans. Under the Local Government Act 1993 and recent 24-Hour Economy reforms (2023–2024), councils can designate areas (streetscapes or single venues) where sound levels and trading hours are explicitly managed. SEPs are intended to encourage live performance, nightlife and tourism while offering residents clarity on expected noise and traders benefits such as extended hours and reduced licence fees. The framework is backed by mandatory guidelines, acoustic toolkits, grant support, and structured governance—all intended to balance vibrancy and amenity.

Special Entertainment Precinct Regulation

NSW Office of the 24-Hour Commissioner

Downtown Orlando launched a Rideshare Hub Pilot program to coordinate safe rides home at closing time. Prior to the pilot, people wandered at closing time, unaware of where to best grab a late-night bite, where they could use the restroom and where the best place was to pick-up their rideshare. Two rideshare hubs are now in operation on Fridays and Saturdays from midnight to 3:00 a.m. The six-month pilot program received a six-month extension, resulting in operation between May 2019 - May 2020.The hubs are strategically located and designed for easy ingress and egress of vehicles as well as walkable from anywhere downtown. The hubs not only centralize where nightlife patrons pick up their Lyft or Uber ride, but also include food trucks, public restrooms and dedicated security. The creation of the hubs have addressed closing time issues like crowd surge, disorganization of various modes of transport and pedestrian safety.

Orlando’s Rideshare Hubs : Efficient Egress at Closing Time in Downtown Orlando

Responsible Hospitality Institute

Puntos Lila are gender-based violence prevention spaces deployed at festivals, nightlife and public events in Barcelona. Initiated in 2017 and formalised by the City Council, these mobile and fixed stands offer support to victims of sexist or LGBTI-phobic aggression. Staffed by trained professionals, they provide visible, safe points for guidance, care and referral. Operating mainly during high-attendance nightlife and leisure events, they form part of the city's broader strategy for a feminist, community-based approach to public safety.

Puntos Lila (Purple Points)

Ayuntamiento de Barcelona

The Night Tube service represents London’s first full overnight metro on Fridays and Saturdays. Launched in August 2016 on the Central and Victoria lines, it was later extended to Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Operating from around midnight to 5:30 a.m., it offers consistent 10–20 minute frequencies. Managed by Transport for London (TfL), the Night Tube enables regular fare use, maintains staffed stations, and ensures safety with added British Transport Police presence. The service integrates with 24-hour bus routes, forming a backbone of the city’s night-time mobility infrastructure. It aims to support shift workers, enhance access to culture and entertainment, and strengthen London’s 24-hour economy.

United Kingdom | Transportation

London Night Tube launch

This case study investigates Milan’s 24-hour accessibility using a time-variant adaptation of the 15-Minute City framework. The objective was to evaluate walkability across different times of day, focusing on the needs of nighttime communities, including shift workers and other non-traditional urban users. Leveraging GIS tools, Google Places API data, and a customised version of Transform Transport’s 15-Minute City Score Toolkit, the research analyzed over 46,000 Points of Interest (POIs) and mapped service availability across a hexagonal grid of Milan. Results revealed stark contrasts in accessibility between day and night, with nighttime service availability often falling below 20% of midday levels, especially in peripheral areas. The study highlights the spatial and temporal inequalities in urban access and proposes the integration of temporal data into urban planning practices.

Into the Night: Exploring the 24-hour Rhythms of the 15-Minute City

The Night‑Time Data Observatory (NTDO) is a central repository created by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to support data-driven policy and strategy for London’s night-time economy and urban life at night. Launched in 2021 under the Night Time Strategy guidance, the Observatory collates over 30 datasets across four themes:VibrancyVitalitySafety LivabilityDrawing on sources such as transport usage, crime, high street footfall, workforce demographics, and public perception surveys. It serves as a real-time decision-making tool for boroughs and stakeholders, enabling evidence-based planning of nighttime strategies and community interventions. The NTDO is an ongoing initiative, with updates—including a new evidence base released in December 2023—helping to monitor trends, inform policy adjustments, and benchmark impact over time. The Observatory positions London at the forefront of urban night-time governance and comprehen

London Night‑Time Data Observatory

Greater London Authority City to Sea

Since 2001, the phenomenon of nighttime commissions or individual leaders, often known as “night mayors” or “night czars,” has been gaining momentum across the globe. With more than 80 cities embracing this approach, the diverse nature of these roles reflects each city’s unique characteristics and needs.The Nighttime Advocacy Map aims to document and showcase the remarkable contributions of nighttime commissions and leaders worldwide. It provides a valuable resource for cities, policymakers, and urban enthusiasts to understand nighttime governance’s various models, strategies, and successes.

Nighttime Advocacy Map: Mapping Night Mayors, Offices and Commissions Worldwide

The Night Insight tool allows you to navigate through night-time spaces, comment, and make known your likes, dislikes, joys and concerns about our urban zones after dark. Part of Arup's Night-time research and analysis, the Night Insight tool can enhance our perception of safety by use of 360 photography and videos, as well as more technical lux, lumen and luminance analysis. For more information, Contact: Tim Hunt or Fleur Martin-Austin

Night Insight Tool

The objective of this preliminary study is to characterize Bogotá’s night shift in order to gain a broader understanding of its commercial, cultural, and civic activities, as well as its socio-governmental services. The study aims to identify strategies, activities, actors, and areas of opportunity for the city, which will serve as input for the development of the Estrategia Bogotá Productiva 24 Horas (Productive 24-Hour Bogotá Strategy)

Diagnóstico Bogotá Productiva 24 Horas

Mayor of Bogota

This document aims to summarize the main learnings derived from Ciudades Nocturnas: La Primera Conferencia Latinoamericana sobre Planificación Urbana Nocturna (Night Cities: The First Latin American Conference on Night-time Urban Planning), held on November 22, 2018, in Bogotá, Colombia. The study of nocturnity (translated from nocturnidad in Spanish) is an emerging field. Globally, an increasing number of cities are exploring mechanisms to enhance conviviality and productivity in nocturnal spaces and to harness them as platforms for positive transformation.Nevertheless, managing nocturnity is not about finding a single magic formula. Each city has its own history and unique nocturnal vocation, and its strategy must be equally distinctive, grounded in the needs and expectations of its citizens. This is not always an easy task: noise, violence, inequality, and informality are just some of the challenges associated with urban nightlife, particularly in Latin America.

Manifiesto: Ciudades Nocturnas de América Latina

Camara de Comercio de Bogota CCB

The Greater London Authority's (GLA) City Intelligence Unit conducts research and analysis to understand the experiences of Londoners at night as well as the prevalence, characteristics, and experience of night time workers.The latest, December 2023, publication provides a glimpse into the next London At Night Evidence Base update, which will be published in the coming months. It reveals the latest headline findings about London’s night-time workforce.Publications available on this page include:London at Night: An Updated Evidence Base for a 24 hour City (2024)A representative survey of Londoners in March 2022Analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data from 2015 to 2022 published in January 2023.

London at night: research and analysis

Greater London Authority City to Sea

As governments seek to boost productivity and attract investment, the night-time economy is emerging as a core element of economic and urban strategy. Encouraging more sectors - from retail and fitness to cultural institutions - to trade later, and ensuring safe, inclusive evening environments, helps cities unlock greater value. Those that foster vibrant, well-managed after-dark economies gain a competitive edge by attracting visitors, retaining residents and drawing investment into future-focused urban life.A strong night-time offer signals a place that invests in connection and creativity, values how people use time and space, and recognises that life after dark isn’t an add-on - it’s a driver of prosperity, wellbeing and resilience.Topics include: Why what happens after dark matters more than everCutting through the noise: why measure the night-time economy?The Visa Australia Night-Time Economy Index 2025How Australia’s cities stack upRoom to grow: the capitals missing from the top 20Five shifts shaping Australia’s night-time future

Visa Australia Night-Time Economy Index

Tokyo’s nighttime environment has been enhanced through large-scale projection mapping and vibrant lighting displays designed to boost nighttime tourism and enliven public spaces after dark. Key initiatives include the Tokyo Night & Light projection on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office building—the largest of its kind globally—and seasonal illuminations along Roppongi Hills, Marunouchi’s Nakadōri, and Shibuya’s Blue Grotto. Iconic landmarks such as Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree feature dynamic, culturally significant lighting schemes year-round, combining aesthetics with efforts to minimize light pollution. Despite a pandemic-induced decline in overall nighttime brightness and fewer neon signs, these lighting innovations help transform Tokyo’s nightscape, making it a memorable destination for residents and visitors alike. The use of advanced lighting technology not only brightens the city but also supports the nighttime economy by attracting crowds and encouraging after-dark activity

Illuminating Tokyo: Enhancing Nightlife and Cultural Experience through Projection Mapping and Lighting Displays

Data After Dark is a platform to support a vibrant, safe, and diverse Sydney nightlife. It aims to provide local and state government with a thorough, consistent and shared understanding of Sydney's 24-hour economy to further enhance Sydney’s standing as a global nightlife destination.

Data After Dark

NSW Office of the 24-Hour Commissioner

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