7 Priorities for Any Nighttime Economy
A city’s nighttime economy is more than just being about nightlife, dining and entertainment. Any city’s nighttime economy also includes jobs in hospitality; leisure and cultural sectors; the transportation trade; 24-hour health and social care; and manufacturing and logistics workers.
Seven nighttime economy strategies developed for city in the UK could be applied to city in the US.
On Apr. 21, 2022, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and the region’s Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord, unveiled a plan. Its goal is to help the Greater Manchester (UK) nighttime economy recover from lingering effects of the pandemic.
“The past 24 months have been the hardest on record for the industry,” says Lord. “We now need to look ahead and focus on how we rebuild our nighttime economy.”
Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester
The Night Time Economy Strategy for 2022-2024 was developed by Lord based on conversations with employers, workers, and national organizations. The recovery strategy identifies seven priority areas for action:
- Safety – for residents, for visitors, and for workers who deserve a safe and secure environment
- Diversity – ensuring the nighttime economy is diverse, reflective of, and accessible to all communities.
- Workers – moving towards improved pay, conditions, mental health and wellbeing, and career pathways
- Transport – working with public and private transportation partners to ensure safe access and that transport isn’t a barrier to growth
- National and International Partnerships – building on the global success of United We Stream and collaboration with UK and international partners
- Regeneration – supporting the nighttime economy as a vehicle to revitalize high foot-traffic streets and town centers
- Business and Sector Support – delivering nighttime economy “surgeries” in all ten boroughs and building dedicated support networks across the region
It will take three to five years for its nighttime economy to recover, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority believes. Burnham adds that the time to rebuild and grow the sector as a better work environment is now. It will be a “better place for businesses to start, grow and thrive.”
And that is a universal message.
Photo by Rebecca Campbell on Unsplash