Challenges of Nightlife Realization in Urban Public Spaces

Urban public spaces are mostly considered a basic part of cities since they can contribute to urban livability. However, what is less noticeable is the realization of nightlife in such spaces. Although nightlife can play an essential role in the sociocultural and economic life of societies and has long been studied and analyzed by many researchers, there is still less collective agreement on it. Based on the literature review, controversies in nightlife issues and identifying the role of urban public spaces in the realization of nightlife can be a substantial subject in the urban planning field. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to identify, explain, and examine the variables of urban nightlife regarding public spaces and its feasibility. In this research, the variables affecting the feasibility of nightlife are recognized and examined. The study identified 22 variables in four dimensions, including public transport and access, public facilities, environmental aspects, and social aspects, and then analyzed and investigated these variables in one of the famous public spaces of Karaj City in Iran as a case study by using MICMAC (version 3IE) software to analyze the results. The research results are presented in three general categories: the extent of communication, identification of variable type, and estimating the level of influence and dependency directly and indirectly. The results showed that some variables are unstable and need further investigation, like security and safety variables. Furthermore, contradictions were discovered in the nature of some variables, including clean air and noise variables. In addition, it is shown how important the role of the society’s culture and country policies is in the realization of urban nightlife.