While we wait eagerly till August for retired Justice of the High Court Ian Callinan to complete his independent review of the lockout laws, we can live in hope that the right decision is made, and Sydney’s nightlife may return to its former glory.
We as Sydney siders, and those of us all around the country can also use this time to learn from the mistakes that have been made, and find solutions to issues surrounding nightlife in the future. Amsterdam is one of the most shining examples of cities doing nightlife right, and keeping everyone in the city happy.
PBS has just released their documentary ‘How Amsterdam Officials Keep Peace for Sleeping Residents’ online, and it’s chock full of solutions and advice for cities in situations just like ours. It includes interviews with Night Mayor Mirik Milan, business owners and visitors to Amsterdam’s first Night Mayor Summit. Check it out below, but here are a few of our favourite Mirik quotes and ideas:
“Nightlife is heavy drinking, puking on the streets, trouble. That’s what people say. Instead of thinking “oh nightlife makes the city a nice place to live in, creates an area in which people can express themselves and to connect with other people.””
“What people always forget, is that when there’s a lot of people dancing, there’s also a lot of people working.”
- The salary of the Night Mayor is paid for by business owners (a fraction of the money they may have lost to policies like lockout laws)
- Night hosts patrol busy areas to advise and protect the citizens
- Boosted infrastructure around transportation
Other than making Amsterdam sound more and more like a good alternative to living in Sydney, this PBS documentary is infuriating. How can a city like Sydney be so blind to so many economically and culturally beneficial policies? If you’re as mad as we are, do something about it. Make your vote count, and attend rallies like Reclaim The Streets’ next on June 18th.
Comments