Towards undivided cities: The potential of economic revitalisation and housing redifferentiation

The 'undivided city' has become a major policy aim of today's local urban p oliticians. Therefore, adequate insight in the relevant dimensions affectin g the urban social divide seems to be required, if only to be able to formu late proper policy strategies. However, whereas the literature reveals that various factors are responsible for the rise of divided cities, with perha ps global economic restructuring processes and welfare state differences as the most central elements to the understanding of divisions in cities, loc al politicians tend to focus on local (area-based) policies. These relevant dimensions, their relative position and the potential of local-based urban policies are the subjects of this special issue. Special attention will be given to the local economic revitalisation and local housing redifferentia tion strategies. A simultaneous consideration of relevant dimensions at loc al, national and global level seems to be required to attain a better under standing of (un)divided cities.