Cities and Social Cohesion : Popularizing the results of Social Polis

This report popularizes the results of the project Social Polis, supported by the European Commission, DG Research, under the “Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities” theme of 7th Framework Programme. Social Polis is an open social platform for dialogue between scientic and policy communities and civil society practice networks. It has had the overall objective of developing a research agenda on the role of cities in social cohesion and keyrelated policy questions. This report associates Social Polis with the current re-contextualisation of science where science and society has started to “reach out” to one another. Results are presented which make sense of the European dimension by explaining differences and similarities respectively. The report highlights to what extent practitioners working in urban neighbourhoods around Europe face the same problems. Furthermore, it provides reasons for stakeholders to be interested in each others’ work and learn from each other. The approach to social cohesion maintained by Social Polis means that problems have to beredefined. A new approach is needed and this has to be developed jointly with stakeholders