Immigration, Ethnic Residential Segregation or (vs.) Socioeconomic Integration in Urban Areas

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the processes of residential segregation and/or socio-economic integration of migrant populations in urban areas. The thirteen contributions included in this Special Issue examine urban contexts across diverse geographical areas. In particular, they focus on Southern European countries with a historical background of emigration — such as Greece, Italy, and Spain — as well as Central and Northern European countries like France and the United Kingdom that are characterized by a long-standing tradition of immigration. The Special Issue also features a contribution on Iran, a geographical context that has been rarely explored in this field of study, along with two papers focusing on the United States, a country with an extensive tradition of research on these topics. The findings underscore the importance of adopting a local-scale approach to measure and understand the complex and multidimensional phenomenon of foreign presence within the urban fabric. Consequently, they highlight the need to produce evidence that can support place-based policies aimed at promoting the local integration of migrants and strengthening social cohesion.