Nightlife for All:

Reimagining Bostons Public Life at Night

Services:

 Research, Advocacy, Policy Advising

Links:

Year:

2025

Partners:

DS4SI

What if Boston’s public spaces came alive at night? What if getting around Boston after dark were affordable, straightforward, and safe? What if the government supported our diverse communities in claiming space in nightlife? What if we imagined and integrated nightlife as a vital aspect of civic life?

These questions sparked a collaboration between Boston-based Design Studio for Social Intervention (DS4SI) and  VibeLab. With the innovative approach of analyzing nightlife through a public life lens, we studied how Boston residents engage with nightlife, the barriers they experience, the public nightlife spaces they desire, and the frameworks that might realize this expanded vision of public life at night.

What we did:

  • Engaged in co-design and imagination work with 38 local nightlife organizers

  • Surveyed 52  residents online on existing nightlife landscape and barriers

  • Conducted 4 semi-structured interviews with local policymakers and cultural practitioners

This study identifies some of the structural investments necessary to allow Boston’s community efforts and civic imagination to flourish. This includes expanded night transit, extended hours of operations for venues and public spaces, serviced public amenities and a comprehensive city plan that integrates nightlife into civic life. We offer case studies from international cities as inspiration for how Boston may tackle these structural concerns.