Migrants and City-Making: Dispossession, Displacement, and Urban Regeneration

Migrants are not on the periphery of society, but rather they are active participants in the networks of power that connect their lives to regional, national, and global institutions. Ayşe Çağlar and Nina Glick Schiller's book "Migrants and City-Making" explores their multifaceted role as city-makers, including their relationships with municipal officials, urban developers, political leaders, business owners, community organizers, and social justice movements. They highlight how city-making invariably involves engaging with the far-reaching forces that dispossess people of their land, jobs, resources, neighborhoods, and hope.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 10 September 2018
Publisher: Duke University Press

In their groundbreaking work, "Migrants and City-Making," Ayşe Çağlar and Nina Glick Schiller delve into the intricate web of power that connects the lives of migrants to regional, national, and global institutions. Through comparative ethnographies of three cities—Mardin, Turkey; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Halle/Saale, Germany—Çağlar and Glick Schiller challenge prevailing notions that migrants exist on the fringes of society, pose threats to social cohesion, and necessitate integration. Instead, they explore the multifaceted role of migrants as city-makers, encompassing their relationships with municipal officials, urban developers, political leaders, business owners, community organizers, and social justice movements.

In each city, Çağlar and Glick Schiller engage with migrants from diverse backgrounds, attend cultural events, meetings, and religious services, and support migrant-owned businesses, thereby gaining valuable insights into the ways in which migrants forge social connections with non-migrants and contribute to urban restoration and development. By examining the shifting historical contingencies within which migrants live and work, Çağlar and Glick Schiller shed light on the inherent complexities of city-making, which invariably involves engaging with the far-reaching forces that deprive individuals of their land, jobs, resources, neighborhoods, and hope.

This insightful book offers a profound exploration of the diverse experiences and contributions of migrants to urban life, challenging stereotypes and promoting a more inclusive and equitable society. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and community leaders seeking to understand the dynamics of migration and its impact on cities and communities.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 401 x 233 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780822370567