The report explores the challenges facing cities in the western world undergoing demographic change so that no single ethnic group comprises the majority of the population.

It presents short case studies of four cities:

Looking at the common challenges faced by these cities and how the cities have attempted to address them.

It suggests that the following themes are of particular importance to cities in transition:

The report was produced in advance of the Cities in Transition conference as background material. By looking at diversity and integration in specific places during the conference, it is hoped that it will be easier to make sense of the debates around multiculturalism, integration, identity and belonging.

The four case studies were chosen because their minority populations have either just reached or are about to reach 50 per cent of the population. The themes chosen for the workshops - economic, social and cultural, and political integration – were seen by the researchers to be particularly important to all four cities and relevant to other cities in transition.

The four cities looked at face continuing challenges of tackling deepening inequalities and disadvantage, which disproportionately affect minority groups. A great number of barriers are experienced by certain groups living within these cities.

To varying degrees, in all four cities there are many common challenges such as poverty and social exclusion, unemployment and differential education attainment levels. Other challenges include gun crime and gang violence, which can often be inter-ethnic.

Barrow Cadbury Trust
Phone: +44 20 7391 9220
p.griffith@barrowcadbury.org.uk

06/12/2006

Lilli Geissendorfer, Rushanara Ali, Phoebe Griffith

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Ethnic minorities