Migrant Economies Beyond Metropolitan Cities: A Context-Sensitive Case Study

Abstract

Research has highly valued the contribution of migrant economies to the development of mainly top-scale metropolises. Migrant economies are considered a crucial asset when it comes to positioning cities internationally, revitalising neighbourhoods and generally securing the social, economic and political inclusion of migrants. Nevertheless, there is a major research gap in empirical evidence on migrant economies beyond metropolitan cities and the impact of the local context on the development of migrant economies in these localities. In order to tackle this blind spot, this paper examines how the local context fosters or hinders the development of migrant economies in two low-scale German cities. The paper conceptualises `local context' as comprising economic, political and socio-cultural factors. In sum, it finds the local conditions less conducive to the development of migrant economies in the cities under scrutiny, for example, because these economies are not an urban policy issue there.