EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Creating thriving neighbourhoods for new immigrants

Creating thriving neighbourhoods for new immigrants

Introduction

Portal neighbourhoods play an important role in the social and economic integration of immigrants. They are for many immigrants the first place of arrival in the host country. But how can cities contribute to thriving portal neighbourhoods that provide opportunities for economic and geographic mobility? The CEOs for Cities paper ‘Strengthening Portal Neighbourhoods’ provides practical guidelines for adapting existing neighbourhood development strategies to the distinct characteristics of portal neighbourhoods. Urban leaders and policy makers can create more vibrant and attractive cities through strengthening the integration function of these neighbourhoods.

Description

Portal neighbourhoods are places that have a critical mass of recently arrived foreign-born residents. They are the initial points of entry for new immigrants, the base from which they establish themselves in a country. Research has shown that portal neighbourhoods play an important role in the social and economic integration of immigrants. They also have considerable unmeasured and untapped economic assets, and often bring cultural diversity to cities.

The CEOs for Cities paper ‘Strengthening Portal Neighbourhoods’ discusses how cities can strengthen the integration function of portal neighbourhoods. It identifies the services and public goods that assist immigrants in their long-term integration policies. The distinct characteristics of portal neighbourhoods require tailored development strategies that support the integration function of these areas. While drafting and implementing these strategies it is essential for service providers to:

communicate the positive
highlight immigrant leadership
collaborate and develop new partnerships between public and private sectors
adapt traditional neighbourhood development approaches

The paper gives practical pointers to help shape policy in fields that are of importance to portal neighbourhoods, including housing, police-community relations, financial literacy, (adult) education, health access, employer-employee relations and civic engagement.

Background information

CEOs for Cities is an American network of urban leaders creating next generation cities that excel in the issues that matter most to the success of cities today - talent, connections, distinctiveness and innovation. Urban leaders in the CEOs for Cities network lead organisations whose success depends, in part, on the success of cities - mayors, university presidents, foundation officials, corporate executives, and heads of economic and civic development organisations.

Conclusions

As cities continue to rely on immigration to fuel economic development and population growth, urban leaders are advised to focus on strengthening portal neighbourhoods. This will be an effective strategy to improve the immigrant integration process and to make cities more successful. The first steps to strengthening portal neighbourhoods are for urban leaders to recognise:

the value of integrating, supporting and retaining immigrants in their cities
the unique characteristics of portal neighbourhoods
their role in integrating immigrants socially and economically in society

Contact info

CEOs for Cities
Phone: +1 312 553 4630
ceos@ceosforcities.org

Publication date

19/02/2007

Researcher

Paul Brophy and Joy Borkholder

Links

CEOs for Cities

Download 'Strengthening portal neighbourhoods' (PDF, Eng, 710 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

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

Keywords

Ethnic minorities