Michael Fichman is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design and a Senior Research Associate with PennPraxis. Michael is an international leader in policy, research, and advocacy related to nighttime cities and nightlife arts and culture - a practice based on his 20 years in the music industry as a DJ, producer, composer and label executive. A specialist in urban planning and informatics, he teaches one of the first graduate urban planning courses on nighttime cities. Some of Michael’s notable research projects with PennPraxis and VibeLab include the Global Nighttime Recovery Plan, the multi-city Creative Footprint Project, and the Nashville Independent Venues Study. As a member of Philadelphia City Council’s Arts and Culture Task Force he proposed and designed Philadelphia's Nighttime Economy Office in 2021. He is currently the policy co-chair for Philadelphia City Council’s Original Music City Task Force.