By:

Sam Weber and Laura Fong

From its marijuana-filled coffee shops to its prominent red light district, Amsterdam's bustling nightlife has long been a destination for revelers from all over the world.

But a thriving nighttime economy can present issues for the city's residents, from loud noise to zoning problems.

To respond to these challenges, a unique public official is charged with helping manage the city's celebrated nightlife: the "Nachtburgemeester," which means "Night Mayor."

Elected by an Internet vote and a jury of nightlife businesses, Mirik Milan is the current night mayor of Amsterdam. While Milan doesn't wield any official power in government, he says the role is crucial in making connections between different stakeholders around nightlife.

"Where you have a problem at night, the first reaction of city officials or the mayor would be, 'Oh, we have to stop this,' instead of finding a solution," Mirik said. "Our function is to bridge the gap between all the sides."

But finding common ground between the nightlife economy and the rest of the city's sleeping residents is not easy task.

In Rembrandtplein Square, a popular destination for nightlife, Night Mayor Milan and the Mayor of Amsterdam helped install 20 "square hosts" to help monitor behavior on weekends. These hosts encourage imbibing patrons to "stay classy" and follow the rules.

When Night Mayor Milan noticed that many problems in Amsterdam seemed to occur around the time when bars closed and patrons were all at once pushed out into the street, he proposed a solution: clubs that don't close.

"If people can just leave whenever they want, you have really a lot less pressure on the neighborhood," Milan said.

There are now 10 clubs in Amsterdam that are licensed to stay open 24 hours a day, all located outside of the city center.

While the concept of the Night Mayor is predominantly Dutch, it has started to spread to other cities in Europe, including Paris. Last month the first-ever International Night Mayor Summit was held in Amsterdam, which brought together Night Mayors, activists, promoters, and researchers from all over the world.

The actual Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, attended the summit and credits Night Mayor Mirik Milan as being a valuable partner in governing the city.

"He's a kind of mediator," Mayor van der Laan said. "He gives ideas, he helps moderate the dialogue, he brings in experts, he gives good warnings when you need him."

Another summit attendee was Chris Garrit, who serves as the Night Mayor in the northern city of Groningen. The city is known as a hub for live music and is also famous for not having any closing times for its bars and clubs. As Night Mayor, Garrit has had to mediate issues between venues and neighbors, but he also sees his role as a champion for independent and nightlife culture.

"The culture always needs a voice to say something, because there's always more rules and regulations going on," said Garrit. "If nobody stands up, then the cultural climate can be going down."