Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has a Night Mayor. His name is Mirik Milan. His job is to optimize the city after dark. At Music Cities Convention 2016, Milan presented how he and his team have been transforming Amsterdam after sunset. Now there are officially two “9-to-5s” in the city — from 9 AM to 5 PM, and from 9 PM to 5 AM.
What Is a Night Mayor?
The Night Mayor is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring a vibrant nightlife and building bridges between city government, business owners, and residents. The model adopted is a “multi-stakeholder forum.”
Background
Whenever problems arise at night, governments tend to respond with blanket bans that don’t actually solve the problem. This kills the industry. Through the Night Mayor organization, Milan can bring all stakeholders together to find solutions that benefit everyone.
The Results
Amsterdam can now compete with cities like London and Berlin. Tourism surged: 5.3 million visitors in 2014, up more than 50% since 2000. With 24-hour operation, things actually became more controlled — venues no longer all close at the same time.
The Night Mayor Model Takes Off
15 other Dutch cities have adopted the model. Paris, Zurich, Berlin, and Toulouse now have Night Mayors too. London and Toronto are implementing something similar.
Amsterdam hosted a “Night Mayor Summit” last April, attended by 200 participants from cities including Tokyo, San Francisco, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires.