From threat and burden to opportunity: A Paradigm Shift in Institutional Responses to the Urban Economics of Protracted Displacement in Cities

This research will explore the rationale for, and possible routes towards, the inclusion of refugees
in city development plans in countries with encampment policies. It will focus on refugees in
African contexts, through a case study of Nairobi. Urban planners routinely navigate between
competing demands of national and city priorities, which at times sees cities adopt approaches
that diverge from national policy frameworks. In both the global north and south, city-scale
responses to refugees and asylum seekers often provide an acute example of this clash of
interests. While the national state claims refugee policy as a question of sovereignty, the city may
seek to create an inclusive urban society. By improving our understanding of how cities diverge
from national policy frameworks in this sensitive area, this project will also shed light on how
these different scales of policy interact in other areas where city and national priorities may clash,
such as environment, health, education.
The vast majority of forcibly displaced people globally are living in developing countries. In
particular, Africa has witnessed multiple large-scale refugee movements since the 1960s. The
mass arrival of refugees creates huge challenges for communities and local and national
governments. In response, many African states have adopted encampment policies that require
refugees to live in camps that provide shelter and meet basic needs (usually with support from
UNHCR), and prohibit them living elsewhere. Nevertheless, a large proportion of refugees choose
to settle among the wider community, often in cities (Bakewell, 2014).