Narrativizing the Inclusive City: The Role of Place Brokers in Shaping Belonging

• In Event: Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5: Ethnic Enclaves

Abstract

Current global trends indicate that more than half of the world’s population resides in cities and metropolitan areas. Yet cities take many forms in terms of size, design, function, and demographic composition, among others. While big cities host large populations in the United States, the most common urban form is the small and mid-size city. The current study begins with questions about the forms and strategies of governance in small cities. The project seeks to explore how the pursuance and enactment of urban inclusion shape dynamics and the place politics within small cities. In particular, it concerns how small cities manage urban pluralism and diversity. Using a comparative case study, the study examines inclusion work in two small US cities. Through the analysis of policy documents, place narratives, and interviews with city officials and local organizations, this study aims to explore how small cities implement, understand, and articulate the inclusive and welcoming city.

Author

• Alphonse Ofoe Opoku, University of South Florida