People
People working in different occupations can have varying work schedules, and they need their service needs met at various times. Those who work typical 9-5 hours and those who work in industries like healthcare and hospitality could benefit from a place where they know their service needs can be met at any hour of the day.
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How did we Get here?
Looking at the American Planning Association 2025 Trend Report and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2 trends were identified that could be addressed through planning practices. We chose to focus on the APA trend of Redefining Balance: Life in the Post-Work Era and the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
How can the urban core help support both leisure and the needs of those who don't work typical 9-5 jobs?
This APA Trend discusses the future in which the movement towards a four-day workweeks could drive more leisure activities. This got us thinking...
In a post-COVID world, what will drive economic activity in downtowns outside of the typical 9-5 office workers?
American Planning Association Trend Report 2025
Can providing more services at varying hours of the day create a more inclusive city?
What can help make a city's economy
more resilient?
How can increasing safety measures encourage people to visit the urban core, especially outside of traditional hours?
This SDG focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
This got us thinking...
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Introducing, a 24-hour city
so, what is a 24-hour city?
A 24-Hour City means using time as a strategic resource to improve cities. In other words, designing urban strategies that allow a city to monitor its night-time economy—the broad spectrum of productive, social, and cultural activities that take place from 6 pm to 6 am—and improve the conditions to support the rest of the day.
World Economic Forum
What is the need?
Downtown Recovery
Cities are struggling to see the number of downtown visitors return to pre-COVID levels. However, downtowns after-work hours (defined as weeknights 6 pm-8 am + Weekends) are recovering faster compared to working hours (weeknights 8 am-6 pm). This shows that cities are relying on 6 pm - 6 am economies to fill the gap previously held by office commuters to help downtown recovery.
University of Toronto Downtown Recovery
Process
diagram
This led us to our Research Question...
How can the strategies for a 24-hour city help to contribute to more downtown activation and provide services in the city for all that spurs economic investment and urban revitalization?