Intergenerational Cities Embracing Diversity and Social Justice

Concentration and diversity of people and activities are invaluable assets for cities, colorful beehives and schools for respecting difference and learning how to live in society. This chapter sheds light on the evolving social capital of cities and their capacity for intergenerational and intracity equity, social justice, and solidarity. Urban social capital is of increasing importance in cities that face new forms of poverty and exclusion, where more than three generations coexist, and immigrants come looking for better living and working conditions. Citizens can play a major role in shaping vital urban spaces and forging bonds out of degraded spaces and estranged relationships. Distressed urban areas, the backstage of urban dramas where underprivileged and excluded citizens come together, can be transformed into innovative neighborhoods and vibrant inclusive communities acting as extended families for the disadvantaged. The participation of youth and women in projects can further extend opportunities, and education is always the most decisive productive investment towards a skill-intensive economy.