Assembly hearing frames nightlife as a core tool for downtown recovery

SACRAMENTO — The California State Assembly’s Select Committee on Downtown Recovery heard testimony on March 4 from city officials, venue owners and international experts who said intentional policy on nightlife could help revive shrinking downtowns.

Assemblymember Matt Haney, chairing the hearing, said California’s downtowns still matter but that the old 9-to-5 downtown model has changed. “We need to stop being afraid of the dark,” Haney said, arguing the state should pursue targeted legislation and budget investments to support evening and nighttime economies.

Experts described a menu of policy tools under consideration. Ben Van Houten, director of nightlife initiatives at San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, pointed to local programs such as entertainment zones and new hospitality licenses created under recent state bills (referenced in testimony as SB 395 and AB 1775) that aim to expand lawful opportunities for live music and outdoor activation. Van Houten said San Francisco’s nightlife sector was estimated at about $7,000,000,000 in economic impact and employed roughly 54,000 people in 2023.

Academic and practitioner witnesses urged governance and data-driven approaches. Michael Fitchman, an associate professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania, described the global rise of dedicated night offices and ‘‘night mayors’’ and cited studies showing 10–25% of measured urban activity occurs between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Fitchman emphasized that zoning, licensing complexity and high land costs squeeze independent venues and recommended cross‑agency coordination on permitting, workforce and safety.

Speakers for travel and events highlighted the tourism value of vibrant nights. Amelia Zamani of the California Travel Association said travel infused about $156,000,000,000 into California in 2024 and argued nightlife factors into convention and visitor decisions; Mary Condie of Another Planet Entertainment described the multiweek economic lift from events such as Outside Lands and urged clearer taxes and permitting for large public‑land events.

Transportation and safety were recurring themes. Nicholas Johnson, director of public policy at Lyft, said late‑night rides serve workers as well as patrons and that rideshare deployment has reduced DUI rates in some jurisdictions. Panelists and members discussed staggering closing times, later mass‑transit service for events and pilots in other cities that expanded regulated late‑night activity while managing public‑safety concerns.

City examples from abroad and other U.S. cities were presented as blueprints. Officials from London, New York and Philadelphia described dedicated nightlife offices and programs—ranging from London’s 24‑hour city planning and licensing reforms to New York’s MASH/CURE/MEND coordination and Philadelphia’s economic framing of nighttime activity—that they said helped reduce venue closures and improve coexistence with neighborhoods.

No formal votes were taken. Haney said the committee hopes to translate the hearing’s lessons into legislation and budget proposals later this year and invited written testimony to the committee.