Opening Cities

Migration is one of the most pressing and complex spatial urban challenges in Europe today. At present, not a single urban strategy convincingly enables us to receive new arrivals – labour migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, etc. – at the heart of our societies and cities. Policymakers often see migrants’ housing problems as temporary. Not only does this lead to exclusion and missed opportunities, it also results in a monoculture that can be seen as negative for urban space. By focusing on two case studies, in Athens and Amsterdam, Lena Kappers presents a strategy in three steps that forms the basis for an alternative approach to the organisation of migration in the European city.