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Downtown's Late Night Programs Showcased at National Conference

03/13/2019, 2:15pm CDT
By MplsDID.com

A large delegation of downtown Mpls stakeholders traveled to Philadelphia in February to attend the Sociable City Conference, a national convening to improve entertainment districts in "the other 9-5" (9pm-5am). 

Making downtown safer and more vibrant late at night is a priority for DID and our partners. To support progress in that effort, a large delegation of downtown Mpls stakeholders traveled to Philadelphia in February to attend the Sociable City Conference, a national convening for improving entertainment districts in “the other 9-5” (9pm-5am).

In addition to learning from other communities, the conference offered DID staff and our partners opportunities to share about innovative and collaborative programs developed downtown in the last three years. Minneapolis was invited to make a showcase presentation on the full suite of policy and program changes made recently to improve our nighttime economy. Council Member Steve Fletcher, MPD Inspector Eddie Frizell, and Interim Manager for Business Licensing Linda Roberts presented on behalf of DID’s Nightlife Plan Implementation Committee. Shane Zahn, DID Director of Safety Initiatives, was invited to present on late night communication tools linking DID’s Safety Communication Center, MPD, and nightlife venue security teams.

Mpls DID commissioned a nighttime economy plan in 2015, and 90+ stakeholders were involved in shaping that vision for a more safe and vibrant downtown. Since that time, DID has convened a cross-sector committee to support implementation of the goals in that plan.

The opportunity to showcase this innovative and collaborative work at a national conference is welcome recognition for the real progress that’s been made to make downtown safer and more vibrant.

Check out the Minnesota Daily's article about what the future might hold for nightlife in downtown Minneapolis!

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