The path and multi-level dependencies of three second-tier European cities – challenges to local social inclusion efforts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24020372 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jenny Kunhardt (0000-0002-9350-0359, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, corresponding author), Katharina Kullmann (0009-0003-7369-0532, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt), Elettra Barberis (0000-0002-2713-133X, University of Urbino), M Birou (0009-0007-9384-2088, Center for the Study of Democracy), Francesco Diodati (0000-0002-2525-4889, University of Urbino), George Jiglău (0000-0002-1782-5899, Center for the Study of Democracy), Silvia Pitzali (0000-0003-0241-1770, University of Urbino) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-23 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Geography (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0272-3638 • E-ISSN: 1938-2847 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02723638.2026.2706846 |
| OpenAlex | W7201984665 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
We present a distinct picture of the capacity of municipalities to act when faced with the challenges of migrants’ social inclusion, by applying the combined lens of path dependency and multi-level dependency to three second-tier European cities: Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Bologna (Italy), and Halle/Saale (Germany). Based on expert interviews, the case-oriented research addresses facets of local social inclusion policies: the adaptation to migration-related heterogeneity, the provision of services through funds, and the targeting of vulnerable mobile EU citizens. Against the background of intertwined local and supra-local path dependencies, the analysis shows that social inclusion policies are limited due to NGO outsourcing and the short-term nature of policy interventions. The dependencies within the fragmented multi-level governance have adverse effects at the local level and preserve power inequalities in three ways, as elaborated in this article. It, therefore, contributes to the ongoing debates on migration-related institutional challenges and urban governance.
Adaptation (eye) · Corporate governance · Dependency (UML) · Inclusion (mineral) · Outsourcing · Path (computing) · Path dependency · Power (physics) · Social exclusion · Regional Development and Policy · Urban Planning and Governance · Urbanization and City Planning
The Theory of Multi-level Governance
The Multilevel Governance of Migration and Integration
Institutions and Urban Space
The territorial dimension of social policies and the new role of cities
From compassion to controversy
Migration-Led Institutional Change in Urban Development and Planning
Migration-Related Conflicts as Drivers of Institutional Change
Governing migration in midsize cities
The intra-EU mobility regime
A longitudinal analysis of arrival infrastructures
Legitimating intra-European movement discourses
Globalization, Europeanization and Domestic Welfare State Reforms
The Subsidiarization of Social Policies
On the Applicability of the Most Similar Systems Design and the Most Different Systems Design in Comparative Research
How do welfare states change? Institutions and their impact on the politics of welfare state reform in Western Europe
Navigating constraints, finding freedom
Urban development and migration processes in the urban region of Bratislava from the post-socialist transformation until the global economic crisis
Governance arrangements targeting diversity in Europe
Profiling ‘Red Bologna’
Local policy-making within the multilevel system
The Rule of Law and Access to the Courts for EU Migrants
Theorizing the ‘local turn’ in a multi-level governance framework of analysis
Insurgent Asylum Policies in European Cities
Contemporary European migrations, civic stratification and citizenship
A welcoming city and nowhere to live
Negotiating migrant integration in times of crisis in small municipalities in Germany
Historical Institutionalism in Comparative Politics
Strategies of Navigation
Institutions
Building boundaries in making policies. Exploring the local construction of migrants in multicultural Italy
New Migrants' Social Integration, Embedding and Emplacement in Superdiverse Contexts
Coping with everyday bordering
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |