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

florian.koch@ufz.de

www.ufz.de/stadt

Thank you!