49

Urban sociologists note an increasing social polarization within cities. The effects of neoliberal urban policies are often described as processes of segregation, emergence of dual cities and lacking social mix at the neighbourhood level. In response, many cities have developed so-called area-based policies presumed able to counteract the local dynamics of fragmentation. This article investigates the Berlin programme Socially Integrative City (Soziale Stadt) asking whether such policies incorporate the demands of urban social movements that mobilize against neoliberal policies. The Socially Integrative City emphasises the production of social cohesion and integration and shared local identities. In contrast, we suggest urban sociology and urban policies should focus on political conflict, social movements and extra-institutional impetus in order to address urban fragmentation and polarization.