Segmented Cities?

Across the globe, more and more people now live in cities, be it through the movement of domestic populations from hinterlands or via international migration. Cities are increasingly subject to significant pluralisation, and the challenges of ethnic and national diversity have become distinctively urban issues. This book offers answers to some of the most pressing questions of our day: Is globalisation drawing urban populations together or tearing them apart? Does immigration exacerbate or ameliorate existing ethnic and nationalist conflicts in divided cities? Can institutional design help decision makers engender integration in diverse and contested urban settings, or are such interventions counterproductive? Contributors analyse the conditions under which cities from a broad range of geographical regions serve as sites of ethnic and national discord or amity. Particular attention is paid to the influence of economic globalisation, cities' entrenched ethno-linguistic configurations, and urban political institutions. Segmented Cities? provides a timely analysis of how the forces of urbanisation and pluralisation are shaping the world's urban centres.It also provides valuable insights into what can be done to encourage cities to act as vectors of integration and dialogue rather than conflict and segmentation.