Krakow's first Night Mayor elected

Amsterdam, Toulouse, Florence, Prague and now also Krakow – they all have their night mayors! Their task is to define the directions of development and coordinate night-time economy efforts. And all this is done to protect Krakow's cultural heritage, and cultivate proper relations between residents, businesses and visitors to the city. The night mayor will also head the Commission for Sustainable Night‑Time Economy, composed of representatives of the city council, neighbourhood councils, entrepreneurs and informal groups of residents.

The Night Mayor has 18 years of experience in the tourism market

In late June, it was announced that Krakow was looking to fill the position of Night Mayor, which was initiated by Mayor of Krakow Aleksander Miszalski.

“In my campaign, I talked about the need to engage a night mayor, and all this is now becoming reality. In Krakow, the Night Mayor will head the Commission for Sustainable Night‑Time Economy, which I am going to establish by an order in the coming days. Mr. Jacek Jordan satisfied all the formal requirements of appointment, obtained the highest score at various stages of the competition, both in terms of knowledge and the interview, presented the most accurate concept of the work of the Commission for Sustainable Night‑Time Economy, and a road map for the coming year,” the Mayor of Krakow announced during a press briefing.

Twenty-one candidates applied for the position, of which thirteen qualified for the knowledge test. Eight people qualified for the final stage, i.e. the decisive interviews. Jacek Jordan, the newly elected Night Mayor, is a culture historian, educator, entrepreneur, tourist guide, and tour leader all over Europe, with 18 years of experience in the tourism market in Krakow, Poland and internationally, head of City Helpers patrols, and a resident of Krakow. He is to officially start work as Night Mayor on 1 August.

“People say that Krakow will now have a sheriff. But, ladies and gentlemen, it is the police and city guard who are the actual “sheriffs”. My job as Night Mayor will be to discuss and negotiate with three groups of stakeholders: residents, businesses and tourists. They all need to understand their particular interests are actually good for the city,” said Jacek Jordan, the newly appointed Night Mayor.

“The historical and cultural heritage of Krakow is so rich that we cannot let it be swallowed up by parties,” stressed Jacek Jordan.

During a meeting with journalists, as well as local residents, he underscored that he knows Krakow and the problems that come with the night‑time life of the city. He identified noise as the biggest problem, and he also added that a place has to be dedicated in the centre of Krakow to nightlife, to take the heat off the Old Town. He has already even come up with an idea.

What are the tasks of the Night Mayor?

The night‑time economy is becoming a key element in developing every major city’s strategy, including Krakow. This part of city life encompasses cultural, gastronomic, recreational and tourist offerings, public transportation services, and ensuring security and order. Despite its numerous benefits, growing night‑time economy also poses challenges, and it needs to be sustainable and consider the needs of residents. Cooperation with residents and local businesses is therefore necessary. The Night Mayor and the Commission for Sustainable Night‑Time Economy will be responsible for developing the night‑time economy and good relations between its participants. One of their most important tasks will be to develop an action strategy based on research, analysis and monitoring the market, which will help to introduce principles and standards for the night‑time economy in terms of city management, including primarily business, culture and heritage, tourism, public safety and order, city communications, and public health.

The requirements for the night mayor were, among others, a university degree and a minimum of four years of professional experience, including two years in one of the following areas: public administration, culture and heritage, public safety and order, public communications, legal services, entrepreneurship, tourism.

The nature of the job required the candidate to demonstrate very good English language skills. Other things under consideration included a concept presentation of the task force's activities, the Commission for Sustainable Night‑Time Economy, being familiar with the city's strategic documents, statistical data and the industries that form the night‑time economy. The candidate also needed to have minimum one year of professional experience in team management.