Research projects

Cities and municipalities in Germany are characterised by increasing migration and diversity. (Refugee) immigration and an accompanying diversification of urban population are to a large extent characterised by international developments. It can therefore be assumed that labour and crisis-induced migratory movements will continue in the coming years and will pose considerable challenges to municipalities and their administrative structures, e.g., regarding the provision of housing and (socio-spatial) integration.

Evaluations of immigration in recent years in many cities show an important trend: immigration is increasingly taking place not only in "traditional" arrival neighbourhoods, but also in neighbourhoods and municipalities that have so far been little (or less) affected by immigration. In these "new" arrival neighbourhoods, there is a lack of established support networks, hardly any experience in dealing with diversity and only a few arrival-related infrastructures.

The project "Strengthening integration in ‘new’ arrival neighbourhoods”, funded by Stiftung Mercator, aims to provide tangible support to municipalities in strengthening social cohesion and socio-spatial integration particularly in those "new” arrival neighbourhoods where local actors see particular pressure for action. Following a nationwide survey on the significance of (new) arrival neighbourhoods, ten municipalities in Western and Eastern Germany will be selected to receive continuous support in this process over a period of two years. Experiences and know-how from national and international "traditional" arrival neighbourhoods, which have already been characterised by immigration for a long time, will be used both as a reference and for knowledge transfer.

An important part of the project will be the establishment of a municipal "integration governance", which will enable municipalities to deal with arrival neighbourhoods and to strengthen integration and social cohesion even after the end of the project. This includes interdepartmental cooperation at the administrative level, networking of social infrastructures, activation of "old" and "new" neighbourhood residents and cooperation between administrative and local actors.

Further Information (in German): https://www.ankunftsquartiere-staerken.de/.