Income inequalities and poverty have been growing in European urban areas since the financial crisis of 2008-2011 and the following austerity period, which hit strongly the young generation. Job vulnerability has increased while house prices have skyrocketed, making it harder and harder to start ones' own independent life. The recent Covid-19 pandemic seems to have reproduced many existing inequalities and added new layers of inequality. The focus of this Research Topic is on young people of nest-leaving ages, starting their own independent lives in cities. We ask what kind of opportunities and challenges young people face in cities characterized by different urban and inequality contexts. For example, do youngsters face different challenges in competitive cities with dynamic and differentiated job markets compared to shrinking cities with post-industrial economic structures, combined with different national and local welfare systems.
This Research Topic takes specific interest in how the challenges young people face relate to each other in different life domains, including education, labor markets, housing, and health or social protection. We further ask what are the differences between vulnerable young generation with vulnerable older generations, how starting ones' own independent life career in cities differs between todays' young people and earlier cohorts, and what is the difference within the young generation itself in terms of gender, education, ethnicity, etc. starting their independent lives today. Studies on the role of intergenerational transmission of advantages and disadvantages between different youngsters in different life domains are very welcome, as well as studies taking interest in how efficient national and local urban institutions can be in influencing the personal and structural drivers of inequalities of urban youngsters.
The articles in this Research Topic intend to provide a deeper insight into the main factors that cause inequalities among the urban young population in Europe by:
• Evaluating the role of external shocks such as pandemics and economic recession (e.g., financial crisis, austerity, recovery, Covid-19 pandemic) and understanding whether they create temporary or long-lasting effects on youth.
• Evaluating the role of urban localities that provide different frameworks for jobs, housing, and (social) services.
• Evaluating the role of national and urban policies as well as intermediary organizations providing services directly to youngsters in shaping the opportunities and challenges of urban youngsters.
• Evaluating the importance of intergenerational transmission and urban neighborhoods in creating an opportunity space around the young people in nest-leaving age.
Departing from the capabilities, domains, and vicious circles of segregation approaches, the Research Topic is looking for diverse contributions from different urban and social contexts, focusing on how disadvantage and inequalities are produced and reproduced among the urban youth.
This Research Topic welcomes both cross-city comparisons and detailed case studies of the particular cities as well as studies employing quantitative and qualitative methods are welcome.
The contributing articles may focus on, but are not confined to, the following topics:
• Evolving drivers and trends in youth inequalities in urban Europe,
• Youth and gender-specific challenges in urban environments,
• Increasing ethnic and socio-economic polarizations among urban youth,
• Case studies of youth vulnerability in the domains of housing/education/labor market, health, and social protection
• Short-term and long-term COVID-19 effects on youth inequalities,
• Urban policy design for addressing socio-economic inequalities,
• The inclusion of vulnerable policy beneficiaries in the participatory co-creation process.
Income inequalities and poverty have been growing in European urban areas since the financial crisis of 2008-2011 and the following austerity period, which hit strongly the young generation. Job vulnerability has increased while house prices have skyrocketed, making it harder and harder to start ones' own independent life. The recent Covid-19 pandemic seems to have reproduced many existing inequalities and added new layers of inequality. The focus of this Research Topic is on young people of nest-leaving ages, starting their own independent lives in cities. We ask what kind of opportunities and challenges young people face in cities characterized by different urban and inequality contexts. For example, do youngsters face different challenges in competitive cities with dynamic and differentiated job markets compared to shrinking cities with post-industrial economic structures, combined with different national and local welfare systems.
This Research Topic takes specific interest in how the challenges young people face relate to each other in different life domains, including education, labor markets, housing, and health or social protection. We further ask what are the differences between vulnerable young generation with vulnerable older generations, how starting ones' own independent life career in cities differs between todays' young people and earlier cohorts, and what is the difference within the young generation itself in terms of gender, education, ethnicity, etc. starting their independent lives today. Studies on the role of intergenerational transmission of advantages and disadvantages between different youngsters in different life domains are very welcome, as well as studies taking interest in how efficient national and local urban institutions can be in influencing the personal and structural drivers of inequalities of urban youngsters.
The articles in this Research Topic intend to provide a deeper insight into the main factors that cause inequalities among the urban young population in Europe by:
• Evaluating the role of external shocks such as pandemics and economic recession (e.g., financial crisis, austerity, recovery, Covid-19 pandemic) and understanding whether they create temporary or long-lasting effects on youth.
• Evaluating the role of urban localities that provide different frameworks for jobs, housing, and (social) services.
• Evaluating the role of national and urban policies as well as intermediary organizations providing services directly to youngsters in shaping the opportunities and challenges of urban youngsters.
• Evaluating the importance of intergenerational transmission and urban neighborhoods in creating an opportunity space around the young people in nest-leaving age.
Departing from the capabilities, domains, and vicious circles of segregation approaches, the Research Topic is looking for diverse contributions from different urban and social contexts, focusing on how disadvantage and inequalities are produced and reproduced among the urban youth.
This Research Topic welcomes both cross-city comparisons and detailed case studies of the particular cities as well as studies employing quantitative and qualitative methods are welcome.
The contributing articles may focus on, but are not confined to, the following topics:
• Evolving drivers and trends in youth inequalities in urban Europe,
• Youth and gender-specific challenges in urban environments,
• Increasing ethnic and socio-economic polarizations among urban youth,
• Case studies of youth vulnerability in the domains of housing/education/labor market, health, and social protection
• Short-term and long-term COVID-19 effects on youth inequalities,
• Urban policy design for addressing socio-economic inequalities,
• The inclusion of vulnerable policy beneficiaries in the participatory co-creation process.