Deliverable 2.2 of the UPLIFT study provides an exploration and analysis of the local policy contexts of sixteen functional urban areas (FUAs) around Europe.  These are named the ‘Urban Reports’.  You can find these on our website here.

The main questions guiding the research within these reports are:

  • What are the main socio-economic processes and policies at the local level influencing inequality?
  • How have these evolved during and after the financial crisis and the subsequent recovery and
  • How have they influenced (in)equality.

The detailed Urban Reports provide an insight into the scales and dimensions of inequality affecting young people, particularly in terms of Education, Employment, Housing and one other area.  National and local dynamics are analysed to explore how drivers of socio-economic inequality operate and the relationship of these with policy interventions, including an overview of how policymakers and stakeholders conceptualize and respond to the challenges.  Any innovative approaches to policy creation have also been explored.

Our 16 FUAs include: Amadora, Amsterdam, Barakaldo, Belfast, Bologna, Borlange, Bratislava, Chemnitz, Corby, Leuven, Lodz, Lom, Mulhouse, Pecs, Sfantu Gheorghe and Tallinn.

The reports are structured with a detailed description of the FUA, followed by the main trends and policies in four thematic areas – education, employment, housing and one other, whilst distinguishing between national and local developments. The analysis covers the economic and financial crisis of 2008, the subsequent recovery, the Covid-19 pandemic, and innovative policies.

All reports are based upon desk research and interviews with eight key stakeholders at the local level (e.g. schools, employment and training services, social security services, health units, housing institutes, youth associations, etc), as well as relevant findings presented in previous deliverables of the UPLIFT project.