Introduction

What does one need to know about managing cities at night? And, what is the ‘case’ for thinking of commonplace urban issues, debates and policies as happening at night-time and in dialogue with what takes place ‘after hours’? In our short primer-like book, we have sought to encourage deeper historical and political insights, an appreciation of varied agendas and geographical experiences, and a look at those who make the NTE, not just those who consume it. In the spirit of practical applicability, therefore, we turn here to provide a practical closing guideline (we hesitate to call it a ‘chapter’ at this stage), structured around eight key lessons that we learned as scholars and practitioners of the night-time. We offer these as recommendations for both policymakers and others involved in this emerging field to consider. This is structured explicitly as a propositional list, pointing at a set of key successes, shortcomings and continuing inequalities, as well as some of what we think are practical ways past the COVID-19 crisis into a more effective (and inclusive) management of the night-time in cities. Underpinning all of these is the first proposition calling for formal recognition in policy in cities around the world, as well as the underlining normative stance that we call on policymakers and scholars to ‘take a night stance’ against daytime biases in practice and research. In doing so, we aim to conclude our short book as an open-ended, and yet hopefully also easily applied, call for attention to what happens after hours, seeking to inspire not just further socially minded research, but also, if not principally, progressive policy action.

Taking a night stance

Night studies and night-time governance are perhaps still in their infancy, or maybe their early adult years after a couple of decades of theoretical and practical development. Yet, as the previous chapters have sought to illustrate through repeated references to a large, and likely widening, variety of international experiences, they represent a thriving space for urban governance to engage with. From this standpoint, a few key issues emerge for us as central to pushing this evolution further. We have promoted a view that values the role of what happens after dark in understanding the broader landscape of how cities evolve.