To conclude the Urban Experience Alliance Symposium, Nate Sabine, Director of Business Development, Blueprint, and Jessica Borich, Founder & Strategist, Prism X Strategy, discussed Vancouver's nighttime economy, or NTE: activity that takes place between 5 PM and 5 AM and which involves everything from entertainment to civic culture to social justice and safety.
Jessica and Nate explored findings from their What We Heard report, the most extensive report on Vancouver’s nightlight to date, funded through collaboration between Downtown Van and Destination Van. The study gathered feedback from hundreds of residents and explored steps to foster a healthy NTE, which fosters culture and community and drives city growth and economic development.
Findings included:
- Adaptive Zoning: Exploring how Vancouver’s often rigid zoning prohibits nighttime uses and how the city could benefit from versatile spaces that adapt from day to night. Underground spaces have been shown to produce lasting value and influence mainstream culture.
- Increased Accommodation: Based on current findings, it’s estimated that Vancouver is short over 10,000 hotel rooms, limiting its capacity for out-of-town visitors.
- Addressing Inequity: Vancouver’s current NTE lacks elements of safety and sustainability. Updates to existing infrastructure and JEDI principles should be considered to ensure spaces are safe and inclusive.
The nighttime hours represent a crucial time for social connection, economic activity and creative expression. A shortage of suitable spaces for engagement reduces connection and can even hinder our ability to thrive as human beings. To learn more about the state of Vancouver's Night Time Economy and steps for growth, watch the video here.
Nate Sabine, Director of Business Development, Blueprint
Nate is the Director of Business Development for Blueprint, a leading Canadian entertainment and hospitality group. In addition to overseeing partnerships, sales, community work and public and government relations in his role at Blueprint, he is currently the President of Music BC and serves on the Board of Directors for both the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) and the Hospitality Vancouver Association.
Jessica Borich, Founder, Prism X Strategy
Jessica is a strategist and the founder of Prism X Strategy, where she works with clients to create positive social impact and build beneficiary value to sustain profitable growth. Across her work, she drives social innovation and passionately advocates for equity, access, diversity and inclusion, and believes in the power of collaboration to create positive social, environmental, and economic impact in our cities.