In this paper, we investigate how ethical questions of fairness and representation are part of processes of ‘reconceptualizing’ something as a common, i.e., bringing it to life as a common resource. We present a qualitative case study of a global night management trend and show how ‘night mayors’ in various cities attempt to reconceptualize urban nights as relational commons and engage in emerging negotiations around different and conflicting uses. The findings highlight that night mayors propose viewing time in different ways – as subjective, specific, and localized – to emphasize embodies ethics around circadian rhythms, bodily vulnerabilities, and social needs. These shifts in viewing time also help the night mayors understand and negotiate density to find the sweet spot between over- and under-use of urban nights. The paper contributes to the literature on ethics and commons by highlighting ethical struggles around fairness, representation, and negotiation of different uses in a process of commons creation. It expands the notion of embodied ethics in urban environments by introducing the notion of diurnal and circadian rhythms as well as social needs of intermingling with others. It also illustrates emerging commoning practices around over-and underuse of nightlife, which is even more complex through conflicting uses. The paper points to further research on how ethics and processes of commons creation are intertwined.
