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Local policy responses on how to host refugees in German cities. Do we need to rethink the concept of the European City?
Dr. Florian Koch, Department for Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Content
The concepts of the European City
Case study: Refugee policies in Leipzig
Discussion: Do we need to rethink our concepts?
The European City
„Neo-Weberian“ approaches
Le Galès 2002, Marcuse 2004, Häußermann 2011, Siebel 2004, Frey/Koch 2011, Clos 2005, Lenger2007, Lawton/Punch 2014, Bagnasco/LeGalès2000,
Not a description but an ideal type
Point of reference for
European urban development:
- Urban Agenda for the EU
- Leipzig Charta for the
sustainable European city
- Urban national policy
Historical/physical dimension
• Influence of different historical eras shape the European City and leads to a “presence of history” which is still evident and visible in the daily life of the city dwellers. (Siebel 2004, 2011)
• Urban Design approach is based on mixed uses, density, public spaces, and historical city centres (Marcuse 2004)
Social dimension
• Minor grade of socio-spatial segregation, (especially compared to the US and Latin American city) (Kazepov 2005)
• Low crime rates
• City as collective actor: Everybody who lives within its boundaries has the right to participate in decision-making processes (Le Galès 2002)
Political dimension
• Far-reaching capacity to act, as result of national/supra-national funding and autonomy to determine how these funds are used. (Giersig 2008)
• Public intervention as an adjustment of market forces(Häußermann 2001, 2011)
• Citizen participation/ involvement of civil society organizations in urban politics (Bagnasco/Le Galès 2000)
Local policy responses on how to host refugees in German cities. Do we need to rethink the concept of the European City?
Leipzig: 550,000 inhabitants, located in thefederal state of Saxony/Eastern Germany, relaxed housing market
Increase of refugees (Asylumseekers, receiving support through the Asylbewerber-leistungsgesetz) in Leipzig:
2011: 285 persons
2014: 1,243 persons
2015: 4,230 persons
2016: 1,633 persons (until end of august), estimation: 3,000 persons
Total: 4,771 Asylumseekers, 4,972 acceptedasylum seekers
Origin: mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq
Municipaliy has to provide shelter in centralized or decentralized housing (legal requirement)
Refugees in Leipzig, Germany
Since 2012: avoid large-scale asylum
seekers accomodations (centralized
refugee homes in the periphery) and
replace them through small scale
options (decentralized housing through
single appartments or small scale
shelters, rents are paid within the limits
of public subsidy allowance)
Aims: Support Integration, avoid conflicts
within the refugee homes, avoid ghettos,
strenghten the social mix of the city =>
Concept of the European City
Housing Policy in Leipzig
• Approx. 2,500 refugees in large scale refugee homeswith more than 60 persons
• Approx. 600 refugees in small scale refugee homeswith less than 60 persons
• Approx. 300 refugees in hotels
• 50 refugees in contemporary housing conditions
• 700 refugees in flats rented by the municipality
• 1,100 refugees in own flat
Decentralized housing of minor importance, majorityof refugees still live in centralized housing
Current situation in Leipzig
Appartments/private housing market:
Rent prices to high, refusal of German landlords, competitionwith other low income households, options only in the periphery
Existing public housing
Limited amout, competition with other low-income households, Floor plans of availiable dwellings frequently
not adequate, corruption
Appartments rented by the municipality (Gewährleistungswohnungen)
Limited amout of Gewährleistungswohnungen, only for selected households accesible
New construction of public housing built by the municipality
Limited municipal resources, no federal subsidies availabe
Challenges for implementation
- Cities have the capacity to act and can design strategies on
how to host refugees (within the limits of the regulatory
framework)
- Leipzig chose a strategy which is related to the concept of
the European city: dezentralized housing, social mix of
neighborhoods
- Implementation of policy faces financial, social,
organizational challenges
- Yet, the political dimension of the European city has not
been considered and the local policy responses have been
developed and implemented as a top-down strategy without
involvement by the persons most affected, the refugees.
Local policy responses on how to host refugees and the concept of the European City
Dr. Florian Koch,
Department for Urban and Environmental Sociology
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ
Leipzig, Germany
www.ufz.de/stadt
Thank you!