After announcing it a few months ago (causing surprise and also a bit of a joke), the Barcelona City Council has finally appointed a night mayoress for the city to regulate the dark hours of Barcelona.
This is Carmen Zapata, the first Commissioner of the Night, a pioneering figure in Spain that seeks to develop a model of nighttime governance in the city.
We explain who the new night mayor is and what tasks she will develop.
Who is Carmen Zapata
Carmen Zapata, the commissioner elected by the PSC, comes to the position with a solid background in the cultural and music sector. She has studies in Law and Communication and Media, and is a regular speaker at colloquiums and debates specialized in the music industry.
Since 2006 she has been manager of the Association of Concert Halls of Catalonia, which has allowed her to work continuously with local, regional, state and international public administrations. She is a founding member and former president of the Association of Women in the Music Industry (MIM for its acronym in Spanish), for which she was awarded the Primavera Award 2018. In 2021 she was recognized with the KeyChange Award for her career, which has been a source of inspiration for many women in the music industry.
What does a female night mayor (or Night Commissioner) do?
The new Commissioner will coordinate and execute the Action Plan approved by the Mesa Ciudadana por una Noche Cívica y Segura. This involves
- Designing and implementing a nighttime strategy that responds to citizens’ needs.
- Facilitating the dialogue between the different actors involved in nightlife
- Identifying the need to update public policies and regulations related to nightlife activities.
The Barcelona Nightlife Council
To carry out this task, Mayor Jaume Collboni has also approved by decree the creation of the Barcelona Nightlife Council, an organ of citizen participation and dialogue with representation of citizen entities, professionals, political groups and other institutions and administrations with the aim of sharing proposals for action related to the city’s nightlife.
The functions of this council are to promote dialogue and the exchange of experiences among the different sectors or areas represented. In addition,
- Receive periodic reports on the follow-up and evaluation of the Action Plan that emerged from the Table for a Safe and Civic Nightlife.
- Centralize proposals for action from the different sectors represented on the Council.
- Identify challenges and opportunities for the city’s nightlife; propose strategies and public policies for the improvement of the city’s nightlife
- Propose the creation of working groups deemed necessary to address specific issues related to the city’s nightlife.
Are there other night mayors?
We explain in this article. Worldwide,there are some 50 cities that have nightlife governance systems, but Carmen Zapata will be the first to hold such a position in Spain.