Cities of Migration

Cities of Migration showcases good ideas in immigrant integration and promotes innovative practices that create inclusion and urban prosperity.

Live

Auckland, New Zealand

Swimming to Safety

Meeting the needs of the Auckland region through water safety coordination and education
Work

Saint-Denis, France

Closing the Opportunity Gap for Immigrant Youth

Closing the opportunity gap between talented youth and employers through recruitment services and corporate diversity training
Learn

Munich, Germany

Giving Young Refugees a Shot at Success

A learner-centred approach gives young refugees opportunities for education and integration
Connect

London, United Kingdom

Future-Proofing the Library: The Idea Store

An aging library system’s dramatic re-invention delivers better service for its community today—and into the future
Plan

San Francisco, United States

Bank On San Francisco

A local government partnership provides banking services to the financially excluded

Browse the Good Idea Index

Conversations

Featured StoryGerman Cities on the Front Lines of Refugee Response

Bruce Katz, Brookings Institution, reports that the lessons learned on the front lines of Germany’s response...More.

Featured StoryHow Tech Could Help Refugees More

A new report from Transatlantic Council on Migration explores new tools and innovations from tech...More.

Featured StoryA Humanitarian Investment That Yields Economic Dividends

OPEN’s Philippe Legrain talks to Ratna Omidvar, GDX, about his latest report on the economic dividends...More.

Learning Exchange

Featured Webinar Refugees Jobs Agenda: From Welcoming Cities to Welcoming Economies

On June 28, join Dan Wallace, Welcoming America consultant (Berlin/New York) in a conversation with Dr. Toufic El Masri, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and 'Migrant Firms’ Division (Hamburg) to discuss the internationally replicated Welcoming Cities model and promising approaches in American and German cities that promote a local economic integration framework which welcomes refugees as valued contributors to workplaces, local economies and vibrant communities.More.

Webinar Video Family Matters: Local Strategies for Integrating Immigrant and Refugee Families

Immigration is a family affair. National policy may define your status, but the experience of arrival and integration, especially in the case of families, is felt locally. In Spain, the City of Barcelona makes family reunification a local priority; in Canada, cities like Toronto have welcomed hundreds of refugee families through citizen-led responses to Canada's national refugee sponsorship program. What works? More.

Archived Videos Past Webinar Videos

Find archived videos and resources. More.

Featured Video

Municipal Leadership

Mayors on Migration

“Les ciutats han canviat, estem obertes, i hem de fer que la gent que se sent cridada a les ciutats en formi part.”
— Xavier Trias, l’alcalde de Barcelona
“Immigrants are a positive force in Finnish society.”

Jussi Pajunen Mayor of Helsinki
“Immigrants tend to open more small businesses, which leads to more jobs.”

Raquel Castañeda-López Council member from Detroit
“Naturalization is much more than an administrative act. It is the declared belief in our state and our society.”

Olaf Scholz First Mayor, Hamburg
“Promoting and embracing diversity is essential in today’s context, as it is a reality faced by more and more cities the world over.”

Dr. Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman Mayor, Southeast District, Singapore
“I want our city to be the first destination for immigrants because they are going to create the jobs, create the new companies, the businesses of the future. We have to be the most welcoming cities we can be.”

Rahm Emanuel Mayor, Chicago, US
“Bilbao is an open city. At the City Council we encourage values of coexistence, dialogue and management of cultural diversity. In Bilbao, all persons, whether from Bilbao or outside, have the same opportunities and access to services offered by the city.”

Iñaki Azkuna Mayor, Bilbao, Spain