Beyond daytime maps: cartography of the night chronotope(s)

Urban mapping practices have traditionally prioritised daytime conditions, often neglecting the temporal and social dynamics of the night-time. This article introduces a cartographic approach that engages with the concept of the chronotope from time geography, visualising night chronotope(s) as spatiotemporal formations shaped by nocturnal rhythms and urban practices. Drawing on data related to public-lighting experiment, service temporality, and pedestrian movement, the study creates a contextual map of the night in Brno, Czech Republic. The visualisation reveals both active nocturnal centres and neglected spaces, illustrating how the urban night differs from its daytime counterpart. By recognising multiple night-time regimes and actors, the map challenges leisure-focused and static spatial narratives. The study promotes time-sensitive mapping frameworks that include night chronotope(s) in urban analysis. This approach supports a more inclusive understanding of the city’s temporal landscape and reveals how urban life continues, transforms, and reorganises beyond the limits of the day.