Stadt nach Acht: Kraków at a conference in Berlin
After the April meeting of Night Mayors in Kraków, the city is strengthening its cooperation with other local governments in support of a sustainable night. The Night Mayor’s team joined the international “Stadt nach Acht” conference, where they focused on current trends and solutions implemented in European cities.
On 27–29 November, the international conference Stadt nach Acht (“City After Eight”) took place in Berlin—one of Europe’s most important events dedicated to night-time policy and nightlife. Kraków’s Night Mayor team was invited to participate. The event gathered several hundred people, including night mayors, city officials responsible for night-time policy, and nightlife ambassadors.
Spatial planning and social functions
Participants highlighted the need to create spaces that encourage young people to meet—including places that do not require being a paying customer. They emphasized that urban planning should also take night-time activity and its resulting needs into account.
Among the examples discussed at the conference was Antwerp in Belgium. In the city’s planning practice, it is not uncommon for local zoning plans and negotiations between the city and developers to include the creation of public or community spaces, including those intended for young people. In some local plans, such as RUP Binnenstad, RUP 2060 and RUP Dam-West, developers are explicitly required to deliver new public spaces and then transfer them to the city free of charge as an urban planning obligation tied to the building permit.
Outdoor entertainment with standards
Vienna’s nightlife ambassadors are working to make it possible to use public spaces for outdoor entertainment legally, but under precise guidelines: no later than midnight, with a limited number of participants, a maximum sound level of 95 dB(A), and the possibility to bring one’s own food and drinks. It was noted that such an approach allows the city to manage activities that take place anyway, while at the same time minimising their impact on residents.
Safety standards
A great deal of attention was also devoted to night-time safety, including the UK-origin accreditation Purple Flag, awarded to areas with intense nightlife. The programme assesses not only the cleanliness and lighting of public spaces, but also whether municipal services, police, public transport and local businesses are able to cooperate to make the night predictable and safe. This approach assumes that safety is not just about reacting to problems, but preventing them: well-run venues, trained staff, clear rules for managing night-time mobility and accessible transport significantly reduce risky situations. Experiences from Purple Flag areas show that such a holistic approach lowers the number of incidents and increases residents’ trust in how the city functions after dark.
Kraków will continue its cooperation and exchange of experience with European partners, and the knowledge gained will be used in the further work of the Commission for a Sustainable Night Economy and in preparing a plan for managing the city at night.
