Inclusive Cities March 2017 - December 2023

Overview
Methods
Outputs

Overview

Read the Inclusive Cities Phase II Action Plans

Inclusive Cities currently supports 12 UK cities and their local partners to achieve a step-change in their approach towards the integration of newcomers in the city.

The founder cities (2017-2019) were: Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Peterborough and London.

Additional cities that joined phase two of the programme (2019-2023) are Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Coventry, Newry, Mourne & Down, Newport and Sheffield.

Drawing on ideas and experience from within Europe and innovative approaches from cities in the United States, it aims to support the development of a method which is:

Strategic across the city administration
Consistently uses positive messaging to develop an inclusive narrative for the city, which informs and drives practice
Local authority-led, working in close partnership with business, public and voluntary sector organisations – including those not usually involved in integration – to achieve shared goals
Identifies several priority areas which lead to practical initiatives which broaden opportunities for the inclusion of all residents across the economic, social and civic life of the city, and
Recognises, in particular, the needs of children and young people

The project is a knowledge exchange initiative which allows the cities to reflect upon and develop their thinking in several ways:

Peer learning and support between the participating cities
Dedicated support from a project manager at the Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity who will inform the projects with specialist input – data, evidence, and examples of worldwide good practice and provide ongoing support to each of the cities
International learning through founder membership of Welcoming International, which supports and connects institutions advancing inclusion worldwide.

Principal Investigator

Jacqui Broadhead

Researchers

Denis Kierans

Nathan Grassi (Administration)

Funder

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Professionals' Advisory Group

Welcoming America

News & Media

Social integration and cohesion in a time of social distancing
Blog | Jacqui Broadhead | 3/04/2020

How ‘knowledge exchange’ is working to build more Inclusive Cities
Blog | Jacqui Broadhead | 31/10/2019

Migration, Diversity and Cities – IMISCOE 2017
Blog | Jacqui Broadhead | 20/07/2017

Countries

Topics

Cities Civil Society Integration Neighbourhoods Policies

Regions

Europe

Methods

The project is a knowledge exchange initiative that informs its structure and design. The project is facilitated by a dedicated researcher to both support the cities to reflect upon and provide feedback on their practice and to provide the relevant data, theory and practical examples of best practices from elsewhere. In addition, the project includes a partnership and learning visit with Welcoming International to draw inspiration from their experiences in US cities (phase 1) and European Cities (phase 2.)

This is a city-led initiative, and the project facilitates peer learning between the five cities, providing the space for the meaningful sharing of best practices and feedback between the partners. Each city has led the development of a new narrative on inclusion and an action plan to deliver tangible outcomes throughout the project.

Based on learning from previous Global Exchange projects as to the most effective way to ensure traction for the project within a local authority context, each city nominates two people who actively engage in the project on behalf of the city:

A senior official or elected representative to provide leadership and profile for the city’s initiative. This is either an officer at Chief Executive, Director or equivalent level; or an elected official with an appropriate mandate (Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Leader, Executive Member or equivalent)
An operational lead official who can develop and drive forward progress day-to-day

Each city has appointed a Taskforce of local stakeholders who can advise and endorse the action plan and act as champions to drive forward delivery in their sectors. Membership is entirely led by the city and tailored to its requirements. Still, it will likely include significant local employers, relevant public sector agencies, voluntary and community sectors, and arts and leisure organisations.

In the first phase, the cities met three times over two years. They attended a five-day learning visit to the United States in May 2018 alongside regular meetings and input from the project manager and specialist workshops where appropriate. The first of the City Working Group meetings took place in Glasgow in October 2017, the second in Liverpool in October 2018 and the final session of phase one of the project took place in Bristol in March 2019.

The second phase of the Inclusive Cities programme began in June 2019. It was formally launched at its first convening in Cardiff in October 2019, including the Inclusive Cities Framework launch. Its second convening took place virtually in March 2020.

Outputs

City Action Plans (Phase II)

The Inclusive Cities Action Plans, prepared during Phase II of the programme, bring together in one place what participating cities and their partners are doing to support the inclusion of migrants and longer-standing residents. The Plans outline the priorities of and practical initiatives undertaken by the city and its partners to broaden opportunities for and better integrate all residents across the economic, social, and civic life of the city.

See all Action Plans here or click on the cities listed below.

Note: Cardiff, Liverpool and London’s Phase II Action Plans will be published in due course.

Inclusive Cities COVID-19 Research and Policy Briefings

The Inclusive Cities COVID-19 Research and Policy Briefings are produced under the Inclusive Cities programme as part of its response to COVID-19. This briefing series outlines the research and policy on key issue areas related to inclusion and COVID-19, as identified by the 12 participating cities, with the aim of informing local-level response and recovery.

No Recourse to Public Funds: Issue #1 (2020, revised 2021)
Access to information: Issue #2 (2020)
Connecting Communities: Issue #3 (2020)
Building an Inclusive Green Recovery: Issue #4 (2023)

Integration policy and practice during COVID-19

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, local authorities and their partners have had to adapt their inclusion programmes, often at speed, to support their newcomer and longer-standing communities. These briefings capture the learnings from these adaptations, as well as ongoing work to promote inclusion and integration undertaken between March 2020 to October 2020 (unless otherwise stated), against the five thematic areas set out in the Inclusive Cities Framework.