The 513 Nighttime Economy

Our Vision

The 513 Nighttime Economy presents opportunities to transform the urban core into a vibrant hub beyond traditional working hours. By embracing the concept of a 24-hour city, Cincinnati could see a boost the local economy, promote safety, and create a hub that offers essential services round-the-clock.

By embracing life outside of regular business hours, the city may unleash fresh surges of economic development, creativity, and innovation. Creating a dynamic, multi-layered urban experience where opportunity, culture, and community flourish at any time of day is the goal of becoming a 24-hour metropolis, not sleepless disorder. The trip starts by developing into an 18-hour city, with thriving food, entertainment, retail, and transit options that prolong the heart of action into the late hours.

A future where energy flows continuously, creativity never stops, and everyone finds a place to belong—from families to artists to entrepreneurs—can be built in Cincinnati with careful investments in infrastructure, safety, and a variety of nighttime activities. Cincinnati's future isn't just awake; it's alive.

Walkable, lively communities built around public transportation are the result of transit-oriented developments, or TODs. They improve local economies, lessen traffic, cut carbon emissions, and increase the accessibility and resilience of cities. By effectively connecting more people to jobs, education, and services, TODs foster social fairness, encourage healthier lifestyles, and save transportation costs.

Businesses Fronting the Streetcar Route

The Cincinnati street car is a well used mode of transport in the city, this loop could be used as to begin the project and set an example to be followed in other places.

Here we see the information on the business that front the street car loop, while there are a total of 203 businesses there are many more vacant units that can be filled.

Businesses around the street car route

Government Square Bus Station

Road Network

Active Business along Street Car Route

Building Footprint

Building Footprint Outside Neighborhood

Street Car Stops

Red Bike Stations

Alleyways

So, how could these strategies work in Cincinnati?

Round-the-clock design

Activate neglected spaces such as alleyways

Coordinate business timings to ensure continuous activity

This ensure continuous movements and crowd to make the space more safe!

SAFETY mEASURES

The Office of Nighttime Economy can assemble and coordinate (either through volunteers or with an entity like 3CDC) a night watch that patrols the streets and works with local law enforcement to provide safety for those going out in Cincinnati, with information or help in the event of something happening

Night Stars in Westminster
Amsterdam Red Light District Hosts

This allows people who are wary of going out in the city late at night to feel more of a sense of safety knowing help is readily available if needed

Business Support

The Office of Nighttime Economy can offer incentives to reduce or completely cover licensing fees for business owners looking to open a business in the Nighttime Enterprise Zone if they meet criteria such as:

Having business hours within the 6 pm - 6 am time frame
Have one night a week or month when the business is open 24 hours

This would incentivize businesses to open in the NTEZ and help to provide more late night/ early morning services for those who work non-traditional hours

Nighttime Enterprise ZOne

1 min walking distance from streetcar stop

3 min walking distance from streetcar stop

5 min walking distance from streetcar stop

The Office of Nighttime Economy can organize one weekend a month where the city encourages all types of businesses to stay open later, encouraging people to visit later at night with entertainment, food booths, and market stalls in public areas

This can also be scaled down: the NTEZ can coordinate with businesses to offer discounts starting after 6 pm once a month on a weeknight to incentivize people to visit

If implemented !

The current annual consumer expenditure in the census tracts of along the streetcar route were considered to calculate the projected impact of these strategies.

This graph shows the annual consumer expenditure if all the currently available to lease and potential commercial development sites were occupied.

Social Explorer

This graph shows the current annual consumer expenditure, and the predictions show how businesses could potentially increase consumer expenditure if they were open for an additional 1, 2, and 3 hours per day.

Implementing 24-hour strategies can lead to stronger business support and improved economic zones, ultimately incentivizing more businesses to relocate