1995 

MAKE Associates’ founder Alistair begins to popularise the concept of 'night-time economy' outside of academia as a way for understanding cities post-5pm. Although imperfect as a term, it becomes the global lingua franca for the study of cities after dark.

1996

Alistair creates the world’s first evening and night-time economy strategy, for Leeds, UK. By today’s standards it was basic, but the central themes (design, crime, transport, lighting, destination marketing, diversification, the user experience) remain the same over a quarter of a century later, albeit now in a much more sophisticated and nuanced format.

2000

Alistair co-develops Centro (now CGA) - the first comprehensive database of all 10,000 contemporary pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs in the UK. The world’s largest drinks and leisure companies, as well as governments and non-profits now use it to measure their night-time economy performance.

2002

Members of the MAKE Associates team undertake the first research into residents’ perceptions of a place at night, feelings of safety and the kind of after dark place they would like to live in. User and non-user research has become the core to MAKE’s process of improving the evening and night-time urban experience.

2003

MAKE Associates produce the first night-time economy futurecasting study, for the UK Government. It predicts the rise of the food scene, the experience economy and the need for a step change in customer service culture, as well as the decline in nightclubs. (We missed the bit about young people drinking less). We continue to provide futurecasting to help landowners plan their estates.

2004

We create the MAKE Licensing Research Method to help councils create rigorous, evidence-based licensing policies. It is based on a series of modules including: ethnographic night-time observation, community and business engagement, videography, crime mapping and health data. We road test it in Richmond before rolling it out nationally.

2005

We design the MAKE Night Model which brings together technical disciplines and a process centred around community and stakeholder engagement. Fifteen years on, its current iteration remains the most sophisticated way of understanding, planning and managing cities at night. It has been deployed globally.

2006

The MAKE Associates team co-develop the Purple Flag scheme to help towns improve their ‘after dark offer’. It mirrors aspects of the MAKE Night-time Economy Model and Purple Flag is now backed by the UK Home Office. Run by the ATCM, it continues to expand in the UK and to roll out globally, with over 70 Purple Flag accredited towns and cities, from Aberdeen to Bristol, Liverpool to Dublin. MAKE’s founder. Alistair, sits on the PF Assessment Panel.

2007

MAKE Associates’ founder Alistair is appointed as Special Adviser to the UK Government on the night-time economy. A key challenge at DCLG was to find beacons of best night-time practice and share this nationally. It was the first (and so far perhaps only) night-time economy special advisor post to any national government (with then DCLG minister, Sadiq Khan, now Mayor of London, supporting his own 24 London Programme).

2008

MAKE Associates originate the idea to measure the evening and night-time economy. Since then governments, mayors, the media and businesses regularly use our first UK ENTE turnover figure of £66bn to signal the importance of the after dark economy (NB. in 2019 the sector was worth £106bn to UK plc). We called it Night-Mix and MAKE now provide bespoke ENTE measurement across the UK and beyond.

2009

We originate the idea of a cost-benefit analysis for the night-time economy. For too long, there was an asymmetric emphasis on the costs of the night-time economy and not enough focus on the benefits. We deploy it in Sydney as part of the OPEN Sydney programme to develop the city’s after dark offer. We have since refined and repeated it in numerous other cities.

2010

MAKE create the first comprehensive night-time economy strategy - for Liverpool. This was the most holistic attempt at that time to understand the economic, design, social and cultural after dark life of a city in a forensic way. The resulting strategy and action plan were fully implemented, delivering reductions in crime, improvements in visitor satisfaction and a step change in the way this great city now values itself 24 hours a day.

2011

Our team pioneers the concept of ‘design for the night’. Whilst working on our after dark masterplan for Liverpool, we were more aware than ever that there is a very specific set of design requirements for cities at night. It’s not just about traditional after dark issues: lighting, natural surveillance and sidewalks, but also how sound, pedestrian flows, transit hubs, street fronts, shadows, surfaces and landuse-mix all need to be designed differently to work both day and night. This is an area where architects and masterplanners need to do much better.

2012

MAKE Associates bring the concept of the South East Asian 'night market' to London. We wanted to ‘walk the talk’ about diversifying cities after dark. Mixing street food, crafts, visual arts and and community participation, our Asian-style night market was the first of its kind to take place in the UK. After 30 events, the not-for-profit concept won an ATCM award for best Night-TIme Economy Project. We now offer advice to cities on how to start your own night market.

2013

MAKE Associates undertake the world’s first multi-nodal study of night-time economies - for Lambeth, London. It covers six centres including London’s premier arts hub - the South Bank. This was the first time that economic modelling projections about the potential of night-time economies to expand (appropriately) were used to support regeneration and planning policies. It also popularised the idea of bespoke ENTE approaches to every centre in one municipality.

2014

MAKE Associates undertake the UK’s first study into crime and disorder associated with gambling premises - Ealing, London. The research showed quite clearly that there is a strong association with raised levels of crime and nuisance with betting shops and in their vicinity. Ealing uses the research to support a new gambling policy.

2015

MAKE Associates undertake the first comprehensive place-based study of street drinking and its impact on the environment, public safety and crime - Hounslow, London. Street drinking is a major problem in some cities, but little is known about who is doing the drinking, or where and when it is taking place. We spent over 130 hours of ethnographic observation in one town. The resulting evidence underpinned a new policy restricting off-licences.

2016

We undertake the world's first national study into the concept of Safe Spaces - buildings and buses providing triage, pastoral care in the night-time economy, reducing hospital admissions, ambulance call outs and protecting vulnerable people. The project receives a ministerial launch at the Houses of Parliament. MAKE subsequently develop a toolkit for towns and cities looking to create their own safe space.

2017

We lead a team behind the largest new multi-space arts venue in London since the Roundhouse. EartH or Evolutionary Arts Hackney is almost certainly the only venue of its type, hours and size (2,500 capacity) to gain a licence inside a 'cumulative impact area'. Our independent expert opinion was crucial to the Council giving EartH the go ahead. The venue has been a huge success, both artistically and in the community.

2018

Working with music and economist colleagues, we helped create the first night-time spatial city planning document for the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park and the five boroughs of East London. The document addresses everything from noise to light, land use mix to transit. It is a template that can be adapted globally with Sydney recently producing its own version.

2019

MAKE Associates develop the concept of ’night-time inclusion’ and apply this through our advisory role to Westminster City Council's Task Force inquiry into Inclusion within Westminster’s Evening and Night Time Economy. The report makes recommendations (that are not just relevant ot Westminster but how all cities) can understand and promote greater access to the ENTE for those from all backgrounds.

2020

With our economist colleagues at Hatch-Regeneris, MAKE Associates is undertaking the first study anywhere in the world into the costs and benefits of opening cities later at night. Commissioned by the Mayor of London, as part of his 24 hour city programme, we have been arguing that this research has been needed for over a decade. Finally it is and we are pleased to have been chosen to MAKE it happen.

2021

As the pandemic hit, we managed to deliver a small but really important research project with night workers. Whilst the conditions of night-workers have been researched (albeit nothing like enough) the world’s first ‘Night-time Enterprise Zone’ (Walthamstow in North London) wanted to know how it could make the physical safety and transport conditions better for those working at night in their borough.

2022

We worked with partners Six Till Six for the GLA and London Night Mayor to undertake what is likely the first study of ‘business friendly licensing’ practices for the night-time economy. Post-pandemic every city needs to review how it best supports nightlife businesses and identify what public agencies can do to minimise red tape and promote their great nightlife assets. This project combed global best practice, as well as that in London, to find exemplars every city could learn from.