Western European Cities Research Articles

Producing white urban Europe? A critical and reflexive reading of academic knowledge production on urban integration of migrants in Western European cities

Abstract In this paper, I review studies of urban integration as analyzed for two groups of mobile newcomers: those designated as “migrants”, that is, mostly marginalized cross-border movers from outside Europe, and mobile EU citizens in Western European cities. This critical and reflexive reading serves to highlight how academic knowledge production on the topic has (re-)produced an image of white urban Europe. While critics of the concept of immigrant integration have suggested that cities and neighborhoods are better sites in which to study migrant integration than the nation-state, the paper demonstrates that studies of urban integration tend to suffer from similar problems, including an ethnonationalist focus and an essentializing of (ethnic) groups. The comparison foregrounds how mobile EU citizens are implicitly thought of as white; their presence in the urban territory is rarely questioned and their practices rarely problematized. In contrast, those designated as migrants are researched with reference to integration, whereby integration means moving closer to white spaces. Thus, studies of the urban integration of migrants use an ethnic framing, while studies of mobile EU citizens focus on class and nationality. The paper thus illuminates how studies of urban integration rely on and reproduce an implicit assumption of whiteness as the norm, even in diverse urban spaces.

Structure of the modern city: context of the urban transformation

The article highlights the urgent issue of changes in urban planning structures in the process of development on the example of Ukrainian cities. The transformation of the city structure is one of its most dynamic properties in the process of its growth in space and time. Generalisation of the characteristic features of the development of historical cities makes it possible to identify typical models of their development and changes. The problems that arise in the process of transforming the urban planning structure of a modern city are very relevant today, as this process continues and is gaining momentum. The question is: how can innovative responses to complex problems are developed to help further optimal development and stop negative trends? The purpose of the publication is to reveal the essence of the processes of transformation of the modern city, divided by method, on the example of typical models in relation to the characteristics of certain periods of development of urban planning structures of both Western European cities and Ukrainian cities. Analysis and generalisation provide an opportunity not only to draw conclusions, but also to form a universal model as a basis for solving problems and to enable the modern city to improve the quality and comfort of its residents. The two ways of transforming the urban planning structure, according to certain periods of its development, described in the text of the article, provide an opportunity to structure and generalise dynamic processes on the example of both Western European cities and Ukrainian cities. Three typical models of urban transformation are distinguished by their characteristic features, according to the main historical periods, which make it possible to form a universal model as a basis for solving the problems of the modern city. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of life and comfort of residents, which is one of the sustainable aspects, all possible resources should be used in the process of creating a global integrated modern urban structure by combining all elements into a whole, capable of developing both today and in the future.

Intimate partner femicide (IPF): Medico-legal investigation at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy)

Violence against women is a significant public health concern, with femicide as its most extreme manifestation. This crime is often perpetrated by current or former intimate partners, thus taking the name of intimate partner femicide (IPF). Although international comparisons are essential for prevention policies, cross-country comparative studies are scarce in this context. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare clinical, epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of IPF autopsy cases investigated at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of two Western European cities, in order to identify a potential medico-legal pattern of IPF. Autopsy and police reports of IPF cases occurred in the judicial district of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy) from 2000 to 2022 were analyzed. Data relating to victims, perpetrators, relationship context, and circumstantial and pathological-forensic characteristics of the homicide were collected. Statistical analyses were performed to explore potential relationships between the data collected. Additionally, a review of the literature dealing with autopsy-based studies on IPF was performed. Overall, 82 cases of IPF were analyzed, 39 from Freiburg and 43 from Padova. A total of 6 papers fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. Our study identified a medico-legal pattern of IPF and demonstrated that it did not vary substantially between the two European Countries considered, suggesting that certain IPF characteristics are shared at the European level. However, a significant finding emerged regarding the higher prevalence of firearm-related IPFs in Italy compared to Germany. Forensic pathology research might contribute to developing targeted prevention policies to protect women from this lethal form of violence.

The Integration Into Diversity Paradox: Positive Attitudes Towards Diversity While Self‐Segregating in Practice

More and more people without a migration background are living in neighborhoods in large Western European cities where they form a numerical minority. This raises a new research question: Are they integrated in such diverse city contexts or do they live a segregated life? We developed the integration into diversity (ID) matrix to distinguish nine “integration into diversity positions” based on people’s positive or negative attitudes towards diversity together with the ethnic composition of their friendship groups. Using the data from the recent Becoming a Minority (BaM) project we found ID positions that are each other’s opposites, a number of positions that are in‐between, and two seemingly paradoxical positions. In this article, we will concentrate on one of these paradoxical positions: people who display positive attitudes towards diversity but do not have a mixed friendship group. This is one of the largest groups in our sample. Apparently, mixing does not happen by itself. Through quantitative and qualitative data, we explore how this ID paradox can be resolved. We found that for interethnic contact to take place among this group, there needs to be a structured activity in place. This can be a mixed social activity, a mixed sports team, the mixed school of their children, or a mixed working place. What these all have in common is that the mixing is organized and the expectations and rules of engagement are clear.

The influence of religion on the care experiences of family carers of older migrants with dementia in Belgian cities

ABSTRACT The number of older migrants with dementia in Western European cities is growing, and so is the share of their family caregivers. This study explores the influence of religion on the caregiving experiences of family caregivers responsible for older labour migrants residing in Belgian cities. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 family caregivers of older migrants of Moroccan, Turkish, and Italian descent with dementia. Our findings underscore the significance of religion in four key dimensions: (i) as a co-definer of the meaning of dementia, (ii) as a way to deal with dementia and care burden, (iii) as an influencer of family care motives, and (iv) that more religious sensitivity is needed in professional dementia care, especially for Muslims. The discussion advocates for recognising religion as an integral aspect of the multifaceted identity of older migrants. Incorporating religious sensitivity offers a promising pathway toward more comprehensive intersectional-person-centred dementia care.

Features of the economic development of ancient Russian and German cities in the XII – first third of the XIII century

The subject of the study is the economic life of the city of Ancient Russia and the medieval city of Germany. The object of the study is an ancient Russian and Western European city in the XII – first third of the XIII centuries. For more than a century, the debate has been going on about whether Russia is following its own special path of development, different from the Western one, or whether our country is developing in the general direction of the world historical process, lagging behind Western European states for various reasons. The appeal to the economic problems of the city is due to the exceptional importance of the economic sphere of life, it determines the course of all processes taking place in society, affecting the other subsystems of society. For comparison, we have chosen one of the dominant political centers of Russia in the era of fragmentation – the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality and the cities of Germany, which are a classic example of a medieval city in Western Europe. The work used a comparative historical method that allows us to identify common and specific features of the development of the economic sphere of the urban centers of Ancient Russia and medieval Europe in order to reveal the versatility of the phenomenon of the ancient Russian city. The ancient Russian and medieval German city in the XII – first third of the XIII century had a deep connection with the nearby agricultural district and were agrarian in nature. Despite this, the most important direction of the economic development of the cities of Vladimir-Suzdal land and medieval Germany was their development as trade and craft centers. Merchant associations operate in both countries, and active trade and credit operations are carried out. Both cities were distinguished by the differentiation of the craft and its narrow specialization. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that a comparative analysis of the level of economic development of a significant number of ancient Russian and German medieval cities was carried out. As a result of the study, it was concluded that in German cities of the High Middle Ages, a special urban world was developing, characterized by strict regulation of almost all aspects of the life of citizens. The ancient Russian cities, on the contrary, did not develop a specific urban law that would operate only within the city walls.

Systematic Review: Strategies for Improving HIV Testing and Detection Rates in European Hospitals.

Undiagnosed HIV infection is a prominent clinical issue throughout Europe that requires the continuous attention of all healthcare professionals and policymakers to prevent missed testing opportunities and late diagnosis. This systematic review aimed to evaluate interventions to increase HIV testing rates and case detection in European hospitals. Out of 4598 articles identified, 29 studies fulfilled the selection criteria. Most of the studies were conducted in single Western European capital cities, and only one study was from Eastern Europe. The main interventions investigated were test-all and indicator-condition-based testing strategies. Overall, the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV was well above 0.1%. The studied interventions increased the HIV testing rate and the case detection rate. The highest prevalence of undiagnosed HIV was found with the indicator-condition-driven testing strategy, whereas the test-all strategy had the most profound impact on the proportion of late diagnoses. Nevertheless, the HIV testing rates and case-finding varied considerably across studies. In conclusion, effective strategies to promote HIV testing in European hospitals are available, but relevant knowledge gaps regarding generalizability and sustainability remain. These gaps require the promotion of adherence to HIV testing guidelines, as well as additional larger studies representing all European regions.

Urban Health in Urban Planning—Exploring the Status: A Survey in Greek Local Authorities

Health and urban planning have long diverted their courses since their initial common evolution as a remedy for infectious diseases that spread out in Western European cities during the late 19th century. Today, this link is still missing, as urban planning seems to overlook health as a strategic parameter. In designing sustainable cities, attention has been shifted towards the environmental effects of urban planning, leaving behind the direct and indirect effects on human health and jeopardizing citizens’ quality of life. Despite global efforts (WHO, Urban Agenda), urban health continues to be examined in relation to illness research and health care provision in urban environments, while policy-making in cities refrains from engaging in urban health interventions through urban planning. A survey conducted among Greek municipalities explores the status and discloses the absence of the parameter “health” from urban planning and the implementation of only fragmentary actions. The main results presented in this article record the status and mentality of local authorities, elected representatives, and higher executives regarding health through urban planning. To promote a change in the mindset of planners, local actors, and decision-makers, the article proposes a conceptual framework for implementation in local authorities and highlights its main attributes.

Treated incidence of first episode psychosis in Sinop, Turkey: results of a 4-year admission-based study - SINOPsy.

The incidence of psychotic disorders varies in different geographic areas. As there has been no report from Turkey, this study aimed to provide the treated incidence rate of first-episode psychosis (FEP) in a defined area. All individuals, aged 15-64 years, presenting with FEP (ICD-10 F20-29, F30-33) to mental health services in a defined catchment-area in Sinop which is located in the Black Sea region of the northern Turkey were recorded over a 4-year period (2009 to 2012). Incidence rates of psychotic disorders and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Poisson regression was applied to estimate the differences in incidence rate ratio (IRR) by age, sex, and urbanicity. One hundred and fifteen FEP participants were identified during the 4 years. Crude incidence rates of all psychoses, schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, and affective psychotic disorders were respectively 38.5 (95% CI 27.1-49.9), 10.7 (95% CI 6.6-14.8), 10.0 (95% CI 5.7-14.3) and 17.7 (95% CI 11.3-24.2) per 100 000 person-years. After age-sex standardisation the rates increased slightly. There were no gender differences in the incidence rates. IRR of any psychotic disorder was highest in the youngest age group (15-24 years) compared to the oldest age group (55-64 years), 7.9 (95% CI 2.8-30.5). In contrast with previous studies, the incidence rate of any psychotic disorder was not significantly increased in urban areas compared with rural areas. The current study, the first of its kind from Turkey, indicates that the risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in a lowly urbanised area of Turkey is comparable to those reported in Western European cities.

COMMUTING PREFERENCES IN EASTERN EUROPE: CASE STUDY IN TOWN OF ŠIAULIAI

This article presents a study conducted in the Town of Šiauliai with a population of 100 thousand, located in the Republic of Lithuania, where the market economy has been operating for 32 years and which is a member of the European Union for 20 years. In the town, the share of commuting travels by car is significantly higher than by public transport. Since the availability of the public transport network is identified in scientific publications as one of the many criteria for choosing public transport, it was decided to conduct a study and check to what extent the availability of the public transport network determines the choice to travel by bus or car. The research hypothesizes that residents who live in neighbourhoods with worse access to bus routes and stops choose more cars than those who live in neighbourhoods with better access to public transport. The results of the study showed that residents choose to travel by bus or car regardless of the availability of the route network. It was found that the origin–destination pairs and relative proportions of those commuting to work match both those traveling by car and by bus. The results of this study may not necessarily be the same in Western European cities or towns. The main limitation of this article is that the trip matrices were compiled from population survey data, as statistical information on origin–destination pairs in Town of Šiauliai is not regularly collected.

Navigating (homo)nationalism and heteronormativity; how Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch gay/bi men negotiate belonging in Amsterdam

Current-day nationalist ideologies imagine immigrant communities, and particularly Muslims, as traditionalist and backward subjects. They often propagate the importance of sexual and gender equality as a way to ‘other’ non-white minorities (‘homonationalism’). This study seeks to understand how (homo)nationalism affect senses of self and belonging for those who do not fit discursive binaries: non-heterosexual minorities. As such, we seek to contribute to geographical understandings of everyday experiences of sexual and racial politics in Western European cities. We interviewed seventeen Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch non-heterosexual cismen in the Amsterdam region, focusing on their spatial perceptions, everyday encounters, and negotiations of subjectivities in urban space. While almost all of these men are subjected by (homo)nationalism, they negotiate their social and spatial trajectories in diverse ways. These findings show how nationalist politics affect everyday lives at the urban scale, while also highlighting how those denied belonging navigate multiple forms of exclusion.

From culturalisation to individuation: the role of urban spaces in shaping intergroup contacts and symbolic boundary perceptions

ABSTRACT This article investigates ethnic boundary perceptions among people without a migration background living in majority-minority neighbourhoods in six western European cities. The main research question is whether people without migration background who have contact with migrant groups in their everyday life surroundings perceive ethnic boundaries as blurred (i.e. individuation) or as bright (i.e. culturalisation). The main argument of this article is that boundary perceptions are importantly shaped by the specific urban micro-setting in which people come into contact with migrant groups. Drawing on data from a large-scale survey conducted in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Malmo and Vienna, the study examines how urban micro-setting affects ethnic boundary perceptions (i.e. individuation or culturalisation). The results show that contact with migrant groups in parochial spaces is significantly and strongly related to the blurring of group boundaries (i.e. individuation), while exposure in public spaces has no significant effect on boundary perceptions.

How do people without migration background experience and impact today’s superdiverse cities?

ABSTRACT For over forty years researchers have studied the integration of migrants and their descendants in Western European cities. In the meantime, many of these cities have become majority minority cities, hence, cities in which an ethnic numerical majority no longer exists. This raises the question how the old majority group, the people of native descent, participates in and relates to these superdiverse cities. In this special issue, we raise long overdue questions about some of the inherent problems of mainstream theoretical frameworks explaining integration and assimilation outcomes. While primarily focusing on people with a migration background, these frameworks usually omit the attitudes and practices of people without migration background that impact the societal climate in which people with migration background live and work. In this introductory article we discuss the literature and theoretical notions about the experiences and the impact people without migration background have on societal outcomes in superdiverse cities. We will further introduce the articles in this special issue and propose a research agenda for studying people without migration background in majority minority cities.

Paintings by Turner and Monet depict trends in 19th century air pollution

Individual paintings by artists including Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch have been shown to depict specific atmospheric phenomena, raising the question of whether longer-term environmental change influences stylistic trends in painting. Anthropogenic aerosol emissions increased to unprecedented levels during the 19th century as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, particularly in Western European cities, leading to an optical environment having less contrast and more intensity. Here, we show that trends from more figurative to impressionistic representations in J.M.W. Turner and Claude Monet's paintings in London and Paris over the 19th century accurately render physical changes in their local optical environment. In particular, we demonstrate that changes in local sulfur dioxide emissions are a highly statistically significant explanatory variable for trends in the contrast and intensity of Turner, Monet, and others' works, including after controlling for time trends and subject matter. Industrialization altered the environmental context in which Turner and Monet painted, and our results indicate that their paintings capture changes in the optical environment associated with increasingly polluted atmospheres during the Industrial Revolution.

Seams of borders and networks of cities: Russia in the late 18th century

Using an extensive archival, memorial and historical material, the article describes the processes that took place in the late 18th century in the organization of the Russian Empire through the example of the changes in the territorial organization of the Tambov Province. The author analyzes the principles underlying these changes, as well as the boundaries of settlement territories and, in particular, cities. Russian and Western European cities are compared and different reasons for their emergence and the political motives of their changes are emphasized.

Participation, acceptability and equity aspects of urban vehicle access regulations: who benefits and who needs to adapt?

Cities are increasingly adopting urban vehicle access regulations (UVAR) to reduce the negative externalities of motorized traffic. Although UVAR schemes are introduced to create a more livable and attractive city, they also restrict access for certain road users, in this way creating unequitable situations. To enhance the effectiveness and acceptance of the scheme, it is therefore important to ensure that user needs are met. In this paper, we combine a literature review on user needs with a case study analysis of twelve Western-European cities, specifically focusing on participation, acceptability and equity aspects during the UVAR process. Resultantly, we show that involving a diversity of stakeholders and understanding the impact of the scheme throughout different stages of the process are important for a successful and equitable outcome of the scheme.

The Political Inclusion of Pakistanis in British and French municipalities: A comparison of Oldham, Villiers le-Bel and Creil

This article shall aim to probe the political inclusion of the Pakistani diasporas in France and in Great Britain. Over the recent years, diminishing voter turnouts in both countries have drawn renewed attention to the issues of the political participation and representation of minorities in mainstream political institutions, thus fuelling debates around the position occupied by women and other minorities in these same institutions. The Franco-British comparison serves to put these debates into perspective, and the study of Pakistanis on both sides of the English Channel reveals that British Pakistanis are well represented in the British political arena, notably at the local level, however their Pakistani counterparts in France are much less visible in French politics, even at the local level. While this differential presence in the respective political arenas appears to be correlated to contrasting migration histories and context-specific demographics (for instance, the British Pakistani population is much larger in size compared to Pakistanis in France), it is also embedded in the prevailing local political contexts. The study of one British city, Oldham, and two French suburban cities, Villiers-le-bel and Creil, serves to illustrate this perspective. Furthermore, it is already well established in the field of migration studies that in Western European countries and cities, candidates from minority backgrounds tend to face more obstacles – compared to traditional, ‘white’ candidates – whenever they stand elections. Looking closely at the political trajectories of various candidates in the cities under study, we set out to identify the impediments that they face first as candidates, then as elected representatives, or councillors. Hence, the aim of this research article is to demonstrate that some inherently discriminatory processes and exclusionary practices enable local political institutions to decelerate and hinder the political inclusion of minority candidates at the local level, blocking their path in a way that they can be kept off these same local bodies. Nonetheless, our research seems to suggest that the British political arena is far more receptive and inclusive for minorities, compared to the French political arena

Dutch national identity in a majority-minority context: when the dominant group becomes a local minority

ABSTRACT With increasing ethnic diversity in Western European cities, more and more inhabitants without a migration background find themselves a local minority in majority-minority neighbourhoods, where less than half of the inhabitants have no migration background. We investigate whether this affects how they define national identity. We compare Dutch inhabitants without a migration background in majority-minority neighbourhoods in Amsterdam and Rotterdam to a representative sample of the overall Dutch population without a migration background and investigate how people describe what they see as truly Dutch. We find that national identity content is seen in the same way by both groups. The majority views Dutch identity as mostly achievable but does attach some importance to ascriptive characteristics. A smaller class of people is more restrictive and attaches quite some importance to both ascriptive and achievable characteristics. The smallest class considers Dutch identity achievable and not ascriptive at all. All three national identity content classes involve drawing boundaries around the nation-state, but with different degrees of permeability. Our finding that these patterns are almost identical, both in majority-minority neighbourhoods as in the overall population, suggests an important role of national public discourse on national identity formation.

Международное сотрудничество в области здравоохранения между Первой и Второй мировыми войнами – уроки истории в борьбе с эпидемиями = Mezhdunarodnoye sotrudnichestvo v oblasti zdravookhraneniya mezhdu Pervoy i Vtoroy mirovymi voynami – uroki istorii v bor

Since the middle of the 19th century, a period of real progress in the field of public health began, government obligations towards health expanded; quarantine, isolation and other measures were introduced by the international community aimed to ensure in the first place safe trade, but also the health of the population of large Western European cities. The article examines the three new international structures in the field of health created before and after the First World War. The first in time was the Office international d’hygiène publique (OIHP), created in 1907. Shortly before the war in 1913, the International Department of Health (IHD) of the Rockefeller Foundation was founded in the United States, and straight after the war in 1920, the League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO) appeared. Despite the cooperation at certain points, the relationship between the LNHO and the OIHP was largely marked by rivalry and the reluctance of the OIHP to become part of the League of Nations. In 1920 the Epidemic Commission was founded and its first head became a well known Polish medical scientist Ludwik Rajchman. The authors also pay attention to the first epidemiological actions in Bulgaria, made possible by the activities of the Rockefeller Foundation in South-Eastern Europe.

Utilizing OpenStreetMap data to measure and compare pedestrian street lengths in 992 cities around the world

Although pedestrian or car-free streets can powerfully produce multiple benefits for urban quality of life, sustainability, and public health, very few studies have quantified and analysed their networks in cities all around the world. Given that, in this paper we use OpenStreetMap (OSM) data and integrate the EU and OECD definition of cities to create comparable global indicators concerning the length of pedestrian streets. Our methodology combines OSM data queries and spatial analysis techniques in R. Due to serious inconsistencies observed in other walking-related OSM annotations we use only the pedestrian tag. The results reveal a chasm in car-free development mainly between Southern and Western European cities and their peers in other continents. Since the latter further underlines clear differences in sustainable urban and transport planning cultures around the world, policy analysts and decision-makers can use these findings in order to support data-driven car-free urban planning and thus alleviate the detrimental effects of car traffic on the environment and human health.