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Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative: Urban Policies and Practices for Inclusion

Publication Date:

11/05/2026

Content Type:

Event Reports

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community tensionsInclusionTransatlantic DialogueTransatlantic Dialogue InitiativeUrban Policies

Summary

On 6 – 8 May 2026, the Strong Cities Network and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR) joined the Italian National Office Against Racial Discrimination’s (UNAR) annual convening of the 15 metropolitan cities of Italy for an exchange among cities in Europe and North America on how local governments can build and safeguard inclusion and social cohesion. In addition to the Italian cities, participants included representatives from 13 cities in Europe and North America. The event, organised under the auspices of its Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative, marked Strong Cities’ first formal engagement in Italy and also introduced many Italian cities to the Network for the first time.  

The event also took place as part of Strong Cities’ National-Local Cooperation (NLC) Initiative, which recognises that sustainable action against hate, extremism and other threats to inclusion and cohesion requires collaboration between different levels of government: national frameworks should consider and support a role for local governments and other local actors in prevention, while the voices and perspectives of local governments and other local actors should inform national responses. As noted by Eric Rosand, Strong Cities’ Global Chair, in the event’s Opening Remarks, UNAR’s support to local governments in Italy, which includes convening them regularly for peer learning and providing financial and other resources for prevention projects, is an inspiring and strong example of NLC and one which Strong Cities seeks to highlight across its global network, including through its newly launched NLC Working Group. This investment in local action was reinforced by UNAR’s Agnese Canevari, who said that UNAR “recognises that metropolitan cities represent a large part of Italy’s population” and that UNAR wants to and feels it must “support cities with capacity building and exchanging of materials and practices”.

Key Findings

• Cities across the Atlantic continue to grapple with rising community tensions, particularly as a result of increasing levels of anti-migrant and other forms of hate in online and offline public discourse. This is exacerbated by global crises and fuelled by dis- and misinformation, including – for example – where migrant and other minority communities are blamed for economic and other struggles.  

• Local governments that seek to promote inclusion within their cities must also practice inclusion in governance: for example, political leaders should use inclusive language and advocate for inclusivity in public meetings, while budgeting, policy-making and other local government processes should engage and reflect the diversity of the communities they seek to support.  

• Data remains a gap: whether it is understanding the efficacy of relevant policies and programmes through robust monitoring and evaluation practices or gauging – and maintaining – an up-to-date picture of the threats and vulnerabilities, cities report the lack of a streamlined and consistent data collection and analysis as a challenge.  

• Building and safeguarding inclusion requires a multi-pronged and multi-level long-term approach that includes community-based partnerships, awareness-raising of available services and reporting processes for those who experience hate or discrimination, school-based engagements, inter-agency coordination within the local government itself and collaboration with higher levels of government to inform national responses.

We are excited to see this workshop bring together the expertise and networks of UNAR, ICCAR/ECCAR and the Strong Cities Network

Benedetto Zacchiroli, President, European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR)  

Threats & Key Challenges

City officials shared concerns about several threats and challenges to inclusion and social cohesion. This includes rising levels of hate and discrimination, with many noting that this is exacerbated by global crises, with international conflicts and geopolitical tensions spilling into local communities and fostering distrust and hostility. Such crises, they said, are also having significant economic impacts, with rising cost-of-living and communities increasingly feeling disaffected and disenfranchised by government (accusing different levels of government of not doing enough to protect and provide for them). Minority communities are also often scapegoated for economic struggles, with migrants blamed for stealing jobs and increasing house prices and more.  

Local government officials pointed to several challenges facing cities as they seek to mitigate the impact of these threats, primarily around data and resources. Participants shared, for example, that under-reporting of hate crimes and bias incidents remains pervasive and impedes local government’s ability to adequately understand the scale of the challenge and to respond appropriately. City representatives also noted that it can be difficult to invest properly in inclusion and cohesion due to their already limited budgets and the pressures they already face to meet the daily needs of their residents.

Inclusion is not just a slogan. It is something we have to translate into our daily lives … Local authorities must show strength in working towards the betterment of their people

Carmelo Versace, Then-Mayor, Reggio Calabria (Italy)

Key Themes

1. What can Local Governments do? Examples of City-Led Action

Throughout the dialogue, participants shared practical examples of initiatives their cities have implemented to foster inclusion and social cohesion. These include: 

• Robust community outreach, including through partnerships with community-based actors:  
  
  Several cities shared examples of working with community-based and other partners to raise awareness about hate and discrimination, reporting mechanisms (if someone witnesses or is subject to hate speech, hate crime or discrimination) and the support services available to those targeted by such threats.  
  
  In Milan (Italy), for example, the metropolitan government has partnered with local gender equality and domestic and gender-based violence support organisations to create an anti-violence network that a) raises awareness about gender-based violence and how victims can seek support and b) provides a platform for prompt coordination and deployment when victims reach out. In Venice (Italy), the government has collaborated with local healthcare associations to ensure their services are accessible to minority communities, while in Naples (Italy), the City partners with local organisations and uses its main public square as a service hub for refugees and migrants where they can access information about healthcare, social services and other support.   
  
  Several cities also shared examples of partnerships with educational institutions. For example, Florence (Italy) is working with high schools to develop and launch a theatrical performance to raise awareness about discrimination. In Rome (Italy), the City has worked with secondary schools to create anti-discrimination manifestos for the schools and local government to implement. Oslo (Norway) is similarly working with schools across the city to deliver early interventions for isolated young people and their families, supporting school staff to identify and better integrate them into the school environment (in the case of the student) and community more broadly (in the case of their families). Further, Columbus (Ohio, USA) has a robust partnership-based approach to inclusion through its Columbus Way initiative, which is underpinned by collaboration between public, private and civic partners.  
  
  
• Delivery of city-wide campaigns and messaging to promote inclusivity: 
  
  Cities are also investing in multimedia communications campaigns to promote welcoming messaging that frames the city as one that serves and is for all its residents, regardless of their background or how long they’ve been there. 
  
  For instance, Los Angeles (California, USA) has multiple campaigns that use billboards, posters and social media to present Los Angeles as a welcoming city for all. This includes its LA for All campaign, which features posters that have been displayed across the city – including on public transport, in parks, libraries, sports centres and stadiums and in the airport – with the slogan ‘LA is for everyone’ and with information on how to report hate crimes and hate incidents if they witness or experience one. Importantly, the posters, videos and other campaign materials were designed with local artists of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) background and are available in 21 languages, including American Sign Language. 
  
  In Ottawa (Ontario, Canada), the local government and its community partners have launched Ottawa Stops Hate Together in response to rising levels of hate incidents. Among other activities, the campaign will work with students to develop educational events and resources to raise awareness about hate speech and crime, how to report it and the services that are available to victims. Meanwhile, in Florence, the metropolitan government is investing in a campaign called ‘Let’s Put Racism Out of Play’, working with sports teams from local universities to raise awareness about the harms of racism. 
  
   
• Investments in co-governance: 
  To facilitate inclusive policymaking, budgeting and other governance processes, local governments are also investing in engaging diverse community members as co-governors.   
  
  In Fuenlabrada (Spain), this takes the form of its Mesa De La Convivencia (Coexistence Board), comprising trade unions, cultural groups and non-governmental organisations and which regularly convenes to promote integration and coexistence. Fuenlabrada also has a Citizen Auditors initiative whereby citizens are empowered to audit the local government on the inclusivity of its staff and policies.  
  
  In Newark (New Jersey, USA), the local government has established a Reengagement Center with Newark Public Schools, which serves as a hub for supporting young people who have dropped out (or are at risk of dropping out of) school, working with them to help them re-enter education and/or find employment (including within local government). The Center also gives young people a platform to share with local officials how it can best support and engage youth across the city.  
  
  Similarly, the City of Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) has a Civic Youth Fellowship initiative, which is part of the City’s Anti-Racism Strategy and facilitates internships with the local government for youth from diverse backgrounds, ensuring their voices are part of decision-making processes while also giving them valuable and transferable professional skills and experiences. Further, the City actively reaches out to student unions, encouraging students to come speak at public meetings on various governance issues, ranging from zoning to land use and more.  
  
  
• Implementation of dedicated city-led structures responsible for inclusion and/or anti-discrimination:  
  
  Participants also shared several examples of offices and task forces their cities have set up with dedicated mandates to foster inclusion and cohesion.  
  
  In Cagliari (Italy), the local government, in a decree by the Mayor, has just established an Anti-Discrimination Office which will serve as both a helpdesk for residents and will coordinate the City’s anti-discrimination measures. In Messina (Italy), the City has established a working group to promote equal opportunity and social inclusion, with a focus on gender. The group comprises local officials, universities, colleges and other local institutions to analyse and advise on gender inclusion and representation within the local government.  
  
  Finally, Toronto (Ontario, Canada) has several offices to foster inclusion. This includes a Newcomer Office, supporting those new to the city with orientation, as well as offices dedicated to different community groups, such as LGBTQ+, Indigenous and youth communities. Each office works directly with relevant communities to help understand and meet their needs and facilitate cross-communal exposure and integration.

2. Plugging the Gaps: Data Collection, Analysis and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) 

Participants also identified some relevant capacity gaps that need to be addressed. These include data collection and analysis. Some local governments are taking steps to address this gap, such as Bari (Italy), which is conducting surveys in schools to better understand obstacles to inclusion among youth; Genoa (Italy) and Turin (Italy), both of which are investing in greater community engagement as a mechanism for better understanding the scale of the challenge. However, many cities report finding it difficult to create and maintain a consistent and nuanced local understanding of threats that captures both online and offline dynamics. In this context, participants welcomed the idea of more peer-learning on low-cost and user-friendly city-led approaches to data collection and analysis. This includes on reporting applications, with participants inspired by – among others – the City of Graz (Austria)’s Ban Hate app, which residents can use to report hate and discrimination.  

M&E more broadly (i.e., moving beyond just data collection and understanding how data can inform policy and practice and help create an evidence base to justify the allocation of resources to inclusion-related investments) was also shared as a capacity gap. Participants said they find it difficult knowing where to start, the types of data they should consider and how to create a feedback loop between the initiatives they and their partners are implementing, whereby the impacts of relevant initiatives inform the design and delivery of future iterations of such efforts.

3. The Importance of National-Local and City-to-City Collaboration

The dialogue also reinforced the importance of multi-level and city-to-city collaboration, with participants sharing examples of how this supports inclusion and cohesion at the local level.  

For example, like the other metropolitan cities of Italy, Bologna is made up of several smaller municipalities of different sizes and with their own needs and challenges. As a metropolitan authority, Bologna works with these municipalities to understand and try to address their needs, recognising that their residents will often travel between them and that challenges rarely stop at municipal boundaries. Local officials from Bologna and the other Italian metropolitan cities noted, however, the difficulties in catering to the often-diverging needs of each of these municipalities consistently and efficiently, but that – at its core – this approach must involve proactive and regular engagement with those municipalities on behalf of the metropolitan authority.  

Participants also shared examples of international city-to-city collaboration: for example, Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA) has a robust network of sister cities across the world, collaborating with each other and hosting exchanges on various aspects of local governance. In this context, participating cities commended the Strong Cities Network and the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism, which operates under ICCAR, for providing platforms for national, regional and global city-to-city learning and exchange on how cities can navigate a myriad of complex threats to social cohesion.  

Finally, participants provided examples of national-local collaboration. For instance, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, USA) has an Inter-Agency Civil Rights Taskforce and Response Team that comprises federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community partners and local government departments. The Taskforce regularly comes together to share information about local threats and challenges and to build relationships so that when a hate or related incident occurs, they already “have the trust and connections to be able to do something about it”.  

The State Senate of Berlin (Germany) also works closely with federal government counterparts from various ministries on inclusion and cohesion, which provides consistent funding to local actors for pilot projects that promote democracy and that “networked thinking [on these issues] across and between all levels of government” is really strong in Germany. 

Finally, throughout the workshop, Bologna, Milan, Naples and other Italian cities credited UNAR for its strong collaboration with and support for city-driven efforts to promote inclusion and address hate and discrimination. Among others, participants commended UNAR for its annual convening of the cities to discuss social issues and for financial and other resourcing support that enables them to pilot anti-racism projects.

Next Steps

Marking Strong Cities’ first formal engagement with many of the Italian metropolitan cities, the workshop served as an important entry point for these cities into Strong Cities’ broader global portfolio. For example, going forward, Strong Cities will ensure officials from these and other Italian local governments are invited to future activities delivered as part of its Transatlantic Dialogue, Global Crises, Local Impacts and other relevant initiatives. For example, given UNAR’s practical support for local governments, UNAR and some of the 15 metropolitan cities it supports will be invited to join the Strong Cities National-Local Cooperation Working Group to share their learnings with other national and local government members.  

Additional Resources

• Strong Cities Mapping on the Overlooked Role of African Cities in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, Strong Cities Network (2022)
• Strengthening the role of cities in Coastal West Africa to address hate, extremism and polarisation through enhanced National-Local Cooperation, Strong Cities Network (October 2023)
• Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returnees from Syria and Iraq: Ten Lessons from the Berlin Experience for Local Governments, Strong Cities Network (Updated October 2024) 
• Unleashing the Potential of Moroccan Cities in Supporting a Whole-of-Society Approach to Rehabilitation and Reintegration, Strong Cities Network (June 2025)
• National-Local Cooperation Toolkit, Global Counterterrorism Forum, Strong Cities Network (September 2023)
• Countering Hate Speech in Times of Crisis: Considerations for Mayors and Local Governments, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• Managing Migration: City-Led Approaches for Being an Inclusive, Welcoming and Socially-Cohesive City, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• City-Led Prevention of Hate, Extremism and Polarisation: Leveraging Local Youth Councils, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• City-Led Youth Engagement in Addressing Hate, Extremism and Polarisation: Ten Recommendations for Cities, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• Creating Safe, Cohesive and Resilient Cities through Urban Planning & Design: Ten Considerations for Mayors and Local Governments, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• National-Local Cooperation: A Pillar of City-Led Prevention of Hate, Extremism and Polarisation – A Practice Update, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• Global Crises, Local Impacts Initiative, Strong Cities Network (2024)
• A Guide for Cities: Preventing Hate, Extremism & Polarisation, Strong Cities Network (Updated April 2024)
• A Guide for Mayors: Preventing and Responding to Hate, Extremism & Polarisation, Strong Cities Network (Updated March 2025)
• A Guide for City-Led Response, Strong Cities Network (May 2024)
• Constructing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Cities, Operational Guidelines (May 2024)
• City Spotlights Library, Strong Cities Network

Partners

Contact Information

For more information on this event and the Strong Cities’ Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative, please contact Charlotte Moeyens, Chief of Staff, Strong Cities Network at [email protected]

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