An inclusive city is a city that prioritizes and embraces diversity. It is a place where everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual identity, migration status or religion, is enabled and empowered to fully participate in the social, economic, cultural and political opportunities that cities have to offer.
In the essay Building Inclusive Cities for All: Challenges and Solutions in a Changing World, Anna Iafisco and Marta Buces from Eurocities outline the ongoing shifts in urban landscapes that we are witnessing. With urban areas projected to house 80% of the global population by 2080, cities grapple with pressing social disparities, housing issues, energy poverty, and the complexities of an aging populace. Yet, amidst these challenges, local governments remain committed to fostering inclusivity, integration, and equal rights for all. The authors discuss the multifaceted roles cities play in addressing these contemporary issues, ensuring that all residents can thrive and find their place in the rapidly evolving urban landscape.
By 2080, 9.3 billion people will be living in cities, about 80% of the world’s population. That means local governments’ decisions will increasingly become more important for citizens. Data also estimates that a third of the global population will live in urban areas with over 1M inhabitants.
In such dense environments, municipalities face many challenges. Currently, cities represent high living standards, but they are also areas of inequalities and segregation. The poly-crisis scenario arising from systemic shocks, including the financial crisis, the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis, has further exacerbated pre-existing patterns of social disparities. In fact, European cities are confronted with new social threats, such as housing crisis, energy poverty, and ageing populations.
Still, local governments aim to build more inclusive cities that guarantee access to essential services for all, affordable and social housing, integration of migrants and refugees, and unbiased urban planning.
Social inclusion should be embedded in every aspect of urban environments' present and future, from mobility to the green transition, from culture to digital developments, from economy to citizens’ participation. There is no progress without social progress.
The right to housing
In recent years, housing prices have increased while availability has diminished. EU workers are impacted by slow-rising earnings, and 37% of households state they spend more than 40% of their income on housing. Additionally, local liveability has been negatively impacted by investment in real estate and short-term rental apartments, which some municipalities try to regulate autonomously. All of these factors have triggered a housing crisis across Europe.
Poverty and housing unaffordability remain significant urban challenges that aggravate social disparities. Since many individuals, including young people, are at risk of experiencing homelessness, cities work on prevention and long-term solutions. Proof of their commitment is their active engagement in the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness. The mission is to ensure that all stakeholders (different levels of government, NGOs, etc.) work effectively together to end this dire social challenge.
The truth is that vulnerable groups lack access to adequate and affordable housing and are more at risk of experiencing the consequences of climate change, rising energy prices or pollution. The energy crisis has significantly aggravated many Europeans' financial and living situations, pushing the most disadvantaged households deeper into energy poverty.
Governments must commit to a fair energy transition that leaves no one behind. This implies striking a balance between making energy-efficient upgrades and preserving housing affordability. Deploying public funding and implementing targeted incentives can ease the burden of renovation costs on energy-insecure households.
The right to age healthily
Projections suggest that the number of people aged 65 and over will have risen to 24% by 2050, whereas the ratio of working-age individuals is expected to be less than two to one. These estimations raise common challenges for municipalities, whose populations are ageing faster than the national averages.
In some cities, the ageing of the baby boomer generation (1946-64) has increased the total number of people over 80 faster than other age groups. Local governments, therefore, try to reflect the increased demand for social services, improve the quality of life of the elderly by adjusting physical and social environments and improving long-term care facilities. However, while the costs for health care, pensions and social benefits increase, the labour force will diminish across Europe.
Finally, there is a caregiver shortage and a lack of nursing home places. One of the inclusive responses Cities take to address caregiver shortages is the expansion and diversification of existing services, targeted labour market integration and participation of women, who deliver the largest share of care services. Local administrations also encourage a model of providing long-term care services at home.
© Eduardo Barrios
The right to be equal
Municipalities also address economic inequality by delivering on affordable housing initiatives, minimum wage policies, gender equality awareness campaigns or requests for better national social policies. But local governments are taking active roles, even outside-their-competence issues. For example, many local social services have found themselves particularly stretched to cover the gaps in minimum income schemes.
Within a city, the distribution of resources, services, and infrastructure across different areas is still unequal. Many municipalities try to tackle social segregation through urban regeneration projects, which reduce spatial inequalities and improve health and quality of life for underserved communities.
Women are still underrepresented in decision-making positions, and public spaces are not gender friendly. From planning new parks and housing complexes to promoting women’s entrepreneurship, municipalities are striving to enhance safety and accessibility for women while fostering their economic empowerment.
The right to belong
Cities host most people fleeing conflict, oppression, poverty or natural disasters. It has primarily been to cities where more than 7 million Ukrainian refugees have fled since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. This unexpected situation has been putting additional pressure on a system already under stress, most recently due to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet, many cities across Europe were quick to mobilise solidarity actions and create support structures to welcome people fleeing the Russian war in Ukraine, often by collaborating with civil society organisations and other local stakeholders on the ground. Local services were reinforced and adapted to provide housing, emergency social aid, healthcare, psychological assistance and legal advice.
However, beyond short-term responses to arrivals, there is also a need to offer opportunities to integrate, both in terms of finding employment and connecting newcomers to their new environment. Municipalities already provide for children’s needs through mental health and psychosocial support, inclusive education and health care.
Inclusive cities for all
Cities work to prevent and mitigate all those social and economic challenges to build more inclusive urban environments. With that goal, they are allies of the European Commission in promoting the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Dozens of municipalities have engaged in Eurocities’ campaign ‘Inclusive cities for all’, active since 2019. European municipalities pledge to the European Pillar of Social Rights under principles such as equal opportunities, eradicating homelessness or access to essential services.
Inclusive cities mean that no policies for cities should be implemented without involving the administration, and nothing for society should be done without engaging society.
Further reading and watching:
Cities social trends paper – Measures to tackle energy poverty in cities
Video - Fighting energy poverty together
Video - Preventing evictions and homelessness
About the authors:
Anna Iafisco is Policy Officer at Eurocities that delivers actions related to the European Pillar of Social Rights, including the right to adequate housing for all and access to essential services. Since 2021, Anna has coordinated the work of cities in the field of social and affordable housing and energy poverty, while addressing the social aspects of the transition towards climate neutrality. She started her career at Eurocities working on long-term investment policy harnessing her studies on international economic policy
Marta Buces is a Journalist at Eurocities. She writes articles about social affairs and migration activities at the local level and about what cities do for a better Europe. She covers housing and homelessness, ageing, refugees welcoming and integration strategies, Roma inclusion, social economy and mental health. She also works in the inclusivecities4all pledges campaign related to the European Pillar of Social Rights.