Night-Time Research

For a long time, the night-time economy was something that people argued about from opposing positions: it was either a problem that needed ‘fixing’, or it needed to be left alone to get on with its furtive nocturnal business. Our view is that such totalising perspectives are often based on out of date beliefs and misconceptions; positions that the evidence and best practice simply don’t support anymore.

Building a strong evidence base about the costs and benefits of the night-time city, the views of residents and businesses, and evaluating the impact of night-time projects has been an area we have pioneered at MAKE.

We build research programmes using diverse qualitative and quantitative methodologies. From focus groups with disabled citizens about night-time accessibility, to large-scale user experience surveys of the night-time city based on stratified samples; from observational studies with a dozen field researchers ‘out on the town’ until 4am, to night-time envisioning workshops with 100+ participants. We use the right methods to answer your questions and bring people together behind a new agenda for the night!

Examples of our night-time research services include:

  • Designing studies to understand the needs of night workers

  • Assessing the feasibility of night-time ‘safe spaces’ and ‘night hubs’

  • Undertaking night-time community engagement research on the street

  • Implementing night-time safety, vulnerability & VAWG projects

  • Undertaking night-time transportation, mobility & movement studies

  • Carrying out night-time user (visitor) & non-user surveys

  • Designing bespoke night-time research projects (try us out!)