From 25-26 of April, Gran Amman municipality hosted the Fifth Learning Meeting of the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration Project (MC2CM), entitled “Social Housing and Urban Planning: Inclusive Cities for Migrants”.

The meeting aimed to offer cities capacity building through an exchange of experiences on techniques, methodologies and political tools that would allow a more integrated approach to issues relating to migrants’ access to housing and its relationship to urban planning.

Local and national housing and urban planning policies were discussed and main challenges identified, particularly in terms of inter-institutional dialogue and improving access to housing for the most vulnerable.

The meeting was an opportunity for participating cities (Amman, Lyon, Lisbon, Tunis and Tangier) to present their experiences and practices relating to social housing and urban planning. Their diverse national contexts provoked reflections on the impact of the level of decentralization (and the resulting legal frameworks and financial resources available to cities) on the political management of social housing and urban planning.

Emphasis was placed on the key role of cities, whatever their political context, in ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable groups (including migrants), due to the fact that they are able to know and understand their needs and demands. Cities are close to the people, allowing them to have effective dialogue with residents on participatory policies with greater sustainability and impact.

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