Call for Papers: Special Issue on Urban Space and Immigrant Inclusion: Cities as Agents of Integration in Host Countries

Posted on 2026-08-10

Guest Editors: 

1. Khaled Al-Kassimi
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the American University in the Emirates, UAE. ORCID: 0000-0003-1209-9493.

2. Mónica Alcindor
Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and Multimedia Gallaecia at Universidade Portucalense (UPT), Portugal. ORCID: 0000-0002-4939-0295

Archive-Sr invites researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to submit manuscripts for the Special Issue "Urban Space and Immigrant Inclusion: Cities as Agents of Integration in Host Countries."

Immigration is changing cities around the world. Millions of people move to new countries every year, and most of them settle in urban areas. Because of this, cities play a central role in how immigrants adapt to their new lives. However, much of the existing research on immigrant integration focuses on national policies, laws, and general social attitudes, often overlooking the specific role cities play in this process.

This special issue argues that we need to look more closely at the city level. Cities are not just physical backgrounds where integration happens. They are active spaces that shape how immigrants interact with their new environment and find opportunities. To understand this properly, we need to study integration through the eyes of the urban environment itself, not only through national or abstract social frameworks.

This also means paying attention to the dynamics within cities. Integration does not happen the same way in every neighborhood. Different districts, streets, and public spaces create different conditions for social contact, economic opportunity, and inclusion. This special issue invites research that explores these local, everyday dynamics and shows how urban space itself can support or limit immigrant inclusion.

This special issue welcomes research that examines the relationship between urban space and immigrant integration. It encourages studies that treat the city as an active participant in the integration process, rather than a passive setting. Papers may focus on social, economic, spatial, or policy dimensions of integration, as well as design and planning approaches that support inclusion. Comparative studies, case studies, and theoretical contributions are all welcome, as long as they connect clearly to the urban dimension of immigrant inclusion.

Topics covered:

  • Immigrant social networks and community formation in cities
  • Social cohesion and intergroup contact in diverse neighborhoods
  • Housing access and conditions for immigrants
  • Urban design and public space for social inclusion
  • Local and municipal integration policies
  • Urban planning strategies for immigrant inclusion
  • Immigrant labor market participation, entrepreneurship and urban economic development
  • Healthcare access and health disparities among immigrant populations
  • Education access and schooling as a pathway to integration
  • Transportation access and mobility for immigrant populations
  • Quality of life and well-being among immigrant residents
  • Neighborhood-level and intra-city dynamics of integration
  • Comparative and cross-national case studies on urban immigrant integration
Types of Articles
  • Research Articles
  • Review Articles
  • Case Studies
Important Dates
  • Submission Opens: 10 August 2026
  • Submission Deadline: 31 March 2027
  • Publication Date: 30 April 2027
Submission Instructions

Authors are invited to submit original manuscripts that have not been published or submitted elsewhere. All submissions will undergo the journal's standard peer-review process.

Manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal's author guidelines and submitted through the journal's online submission system here: Submit

For manuscript preparation requirements, formatting guidelines, and submission instructions, please refer to the journal's Submission Guidelines available here: Link