Author:

Keywords:

Urban social work, Urban transitions, Transmigration

Abstract:

More than 70% of Europeans live in an urban environment. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the contemporary city in all its complexities, which cannot longer be defined in classical terms. The continuous transitions, that characterize the 'multiplexcity', lead to transitions in social networks. Finding ways to address these new urban challenges will deeply affect the position of professionals in the 21st century. In this lecture we will focus on a few answers to these urban challenges such as ‘the right to the city’, ‘urban laboratory’, ‘soft structures’, ‘urban solidarity’ , ‘reclaiming the streets’ and so on. In this regard, we offer some buildings blocks for social interventions in new urban reality. Next, we focus on the shift towards super-diversity through which we are confronted with an increase of flexible migration strategies. Many migrants come and go, not sure when they will stop migrating; or where they will settle. The social life of these ‘transmigrants’ is not only oriented towards their new countries, but consists of complex transnational networks. Many transmigrants face a high risk of social vulnerability and are overrepresented in the client population of urban social services. We discuss the challenges transmigration poses to social work.