Professor Dr. Michael Fichman

Biography

Michael Fichman is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Master of Urban Spatial Analytics (MUSA) program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. He is a city planner who researches various fields, including nighttime cities, arts culture, spatial analytics, land use, environmental planning, and transportation. Michael specializes in open-source analytics, data visualization, spatial analysis, and machine learning, focusing on data-driven public sector governance. He is an international leader in policy, research, and advocacy related to nighttime cities and nightlife culture, with two decades of experience in the music industry as a DJ, producer, and label executive. As an editor and author of the Global Nighttime Recovery Plan, he played a significant role in a multinational effort to support nighttime industries during the pandemic. Furthermore, Michael collaborates with consultancy VibeLab on the Creative Footprint Project, which involves multi-city community census analysis of urban creative spaces. He is also a member of the Philadelphia City Council’s Arts Culture Task Force and was instrumental in designing the Philadelphia Nighttime Economy Office in 2021. Additionally, he engages with the nightlife community group 24HrPHL as part of the Knight Foundation / 880 Cities Emerging City Champion initiative.

Research Interests

Courses