Cities don’t stop at sunset – and neither should urban policy. As the URBACT IV network Cities After Dark enters its final phase, the partnership will mark the conclusion of its 31-month journey at Stadt Nach Acht, Europe’s leading conference on night-time governance and economy, taking place this week in Berlin.
This major international event provides the ideal stage to share the network’s results with city practitioners, researchers, nightlife organisations and policymakers from across Europe and beyond.
Presenting the new Handbook: Cities After Dark in 10 Steps
At Stadt Nach Acht, the network will officially present its new publication, “Cities After Dark in 10 Steps: A Handbook to Unlock the Power of the Night in Your City”
The handbook brings together the collective experience of ten European cities over the last two and a half years, offering:
- practical guidance
- tested methodologies
- examples of innovative night-time actions
- and strategic recommendations
This document will help cities shape inclusive, vibrant and safe urban environments after dark.
Developed through transnational exchanges, thematic seminars, local Testing Actions and the work of the URBACT Local Groups, the handbook highlights the night as a strategic dimension of urban life – socially, economically and culturally.
A shared mission for better nights in European cities
Throughout the project, Cities After Dark has worked with local stakeholders, city departments, cultural operators, nightlife representatives and civil society actors to:
- recognise the night as part of the city’s identity
- support cultural and economic life after dark
- ensure safety, inclusion and wellbeing
- promote cooperation between communities, the nightlife sector and public authorities
These principles will be at the core of the network’s final dissemination event in Berlin.
Introducing Global Cities After Dark: the next chapter
Stadt Nach Acht will also host the first public presentation of Global Cities After Dark, a new international initiative co-founded by the City of Braga and the Nightlife Foundation.
Building on the momentum of the URBACT network, Global Cities After Dark will bring together cities from across the world - supported by partners such as UN-Habitat and OECD - to advance night-time policy as a key driver for sustainable urban development.
This marks an important step in scaling up the knowledge, methods and governance models that Cities After Dark has developed across Europe.
URBACT and EUI/URBACT Point Deutschland on board
The final dissemination event will also count on the presence of the URBACT Secretariat and the EUI/URBACT Point Deutschland, which will host a dedicated side event ahead of the network’s session.
This collaboration underlines the growing relevance of night-time governance within the URBACT community and the broader European Urban Initiative ecosystem.
A milestone moment in Berlin
Bringing together cities, experts, academics and practitioners, the final dissemination event at Stadt Nach Acht represents:
- the culmination of the Cities After Dark network
- the official launch of the Cities After Dark Handbook
- the introduction of the Global Cities After Dark initiative
- and a major contribution to the European conversation on night-time policy
The night belongs to everyone, and cities are finally starting to plan for it.
