CONTESTED MIX

Contested mix: towards a reframing of spatial policies in multi-ethnic environments

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Immigration is a “hot issue” in many European countries and the cities represent the main gateway for the majority of the newcomers. From the spatial dynamics and policies’ point of view, the debate on urban space and immigration has been dominated by the topic of the problematic aspects of the newcomers’ concentration in specific neighbourhoods. In this direction, space policies have always been characterized by a dominant approach aimed at mitigating forms of concentration, dispersing the immigrants groups across the urban territory. In the last twenty years these forms of intervention have mainly resulted in the promotion of 'social mixing' initiatives that the proposal puts under critical observation. In this direction, a core objective is considering some core concepts and narratives that underpin analysis and forms of intervention in multi-ethnic neighborhoods as “assumptions” that, far to be proofed, play a large part in conditioning the public debate and policy agendas on this issue, but also in orientating the researchers’ ways of seeing. This objective implies a reframing of the descriptions and of the forms of intervention in multi-ethnic settlements, considering the “concentration/segregation” issue as a powerful “assumption” that is at once both descriptive and prescriptive leading to “mixing” policies as an embedded answer to descriptions based on concentration. In this general context, the project aims at challenging existing descriptions of multi-ethnic settlements, at detecting alternative modes of interventions in such urban environments with a particular attention to the role that the public hand may play in the face of the welfare restructuring, at developing innovative methodologies and intellectual approaches to these neighbourhoods and at establishing a series of policy recommendations that will be of value to urban policy across the EU.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Existing ways of looking at diversity and multi-ethnic concentrations in urban cities in the EU have been challenged. This gives way to alternative methods of intervention, emphasising the role the public can play in policy formation.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Rising immigration is a big issue across Europe, particularly in certain neighbourhoods of large cities where most new immigrants are concentrated. The problematic aspects that can arise from this influx have spurred debate concerning urban space. Within that, in the last 20 years, spatial policies have tried to lessen methods of concentration. This has mainly been done through social mixing initiatives.

Assessing such initiatives is what the EU-funded 'Contested mix: Towards a reframing of spatial policies in multi-ethnic environments' (CONTESTED MIX) project set out to do. The main goals were to explore certain assumptions that have not been proven yet influence public debate, pinpoint alternative ways of intervention, and create intellectual approaches and policy recommendations.

Experiments were carried out in two segments and entailed literature reviews as well as case studies to meet each of the objectives. It was evident that though there is much talk of the value of diversity and social mix, policies are not as in step with this in urban areas. To what degree stigmatisation influences policy intervention was also part of the experiments.

The research was successful in achieving its goals and most of all has shed light on how beneficial it can be to further investigate spatial economic and social aspects of mixed neighbourhoods. Also important is having a glimpse of daily life as it is happening in these spaces. In so doing, an important understanding of how to best deal with diversity can be obtained.