The city's Commerce Department wants to transform Philadelphia into a 24-hour city.
The department released its first nighttime economy report Thursday, outlining the work its first nighttime economy director, Raheem Manning, has undertaken this year.
Since his appointment last year, Manning has built an advisory board that includes 25 members, including city officials, business owners, residents and representatives of local organizations. He has also undertaken a 181-stop “listening tour” to engage with businesses, residents and other community groups and organizations, as well as four police ride-alongs.
“The overarching message from many listeners … was that everyone was excited that there was someone representing their interests in city government,” Manning said.
The listening tours provided information about the six areas defined in the report that Manning wants to address to improve the “growth and vitality” of the nighttime economy: public safety, waste, transportation, ease of doing business, access to business support and job creation from an impact study.
Manning shared with the Inquirer what he learned in his first year.
An impact study could help define the night-time economy
According to the report, the Department of Commerce will conduct an economic impact study to better understand the night-time economy. The study would help define the scope and economic impact of the sector.
“If you run a business organization or government agency, you need to know where your numbers are. They need to know what the economic impact is on the sector,” Manning said. “As this is a new initiative for the city, we need to get the data. We have to see where the dollars are.”
Manning said the study would cost between $200,000 and $300,000 and take six to eight months.
Some parts of the city's nightlife scene saw a surge in nighttime business this year, according to data from Square, a payment app. The share of money spent between 7pm and 4am at companies using Square has increased from 24% in 2022 to 30% this year.
A monthly call with other night leaders across the country
Manning is a board member of the Nighttime Economy Culture and Policy Alliance and holds monthly conversations with other nighttime economy leaders across the country, including in New York and Austin.
“Talking to other cities and seeing how they do things is really helpful in informing the work we do here,” he said.
The calls allowed him to learn about programming and best practices being done in other places.
Insights from other cities helped inform a bill that Councilman Isaiah Thomas introduced last month and co-authored with Manning. The bill aims to adjust the definition of nightclubs so that regulations can be better tailored to businesses.
Representatives of people who want to sleep (and businesses outside of nightlife)
According to the report, there are more than 4,000 bars, grocery stores, sports and recreation facilities and other venues open at night in Philadelphia. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2022 are cited. These companies employ an estimated 60,728 people and pay a combined $2,515,967,139 in wages.
But it's not just bars, clubs, restaurants, music and sports venues that are open all night long. The report defines the nightlife economy to include medical centers, child care, gas stations and grocery stores, among others.
“We want to support the entire nighttime economy,” Manning said.
And even those who aren't awake after 10 p.m. are impressed by the work Manning and his team do to support nightlife.
“It's also people who want to sleep and we make sure that we mitigate this annoyance so that their quality of sleep or quality of life at night is maintained,” said Manning.
Philadelphia’s nightlife is a “regional hub”
It's important to attract people from the suburbs and throughout the region to Philadelphia for its nightlife, Manning said.
“We are a regional hub. Although we're based in Philadelphia, we support a cultural, nightlife and entertainment scene in seven counties around us. We need to ensure these people continue to come back and support the growth of our night-time economy,” he said.
According to the report, there are some transportation problems faced by night travelers. Listener tour participants expressed safety concerns at some transportation hubs due to inadequate lighting or unsanitary conditions, and there is a desire for more nighttime transportation options, including 24-hour SEPTA service as well as bikeshare and e-scooter options.
Outlook: expanding support for the night-time economy
“People don't just sleep at night and people don't just party at night. “Our third-shift employees need to have access to services beyond city government,” Manning said.
Going forward, the city will expand its workforce to support the nighttime economy, including hiring a program manager.
“We are considering all possible options to better support businesses operating in the city,” he said.
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