Divided Cities

Overview

Combining peace and conflict studies with public administration research, Divided Cities critically investigates the roles of public administration and civil servants in resolving issues that are potentially conflictual in divided societies. Zooming in on nine cities with very different legacies and democratic development—Copenhagen, Malmö, Toronto, Belfast, Mostar, Cape Town, Mitrovica, Nicosia, and Jerusalem—the contributors analyze the tools, strategies, and understandings of conflict resolution that are available in different stages between conflict and stability. Exploring how contested issues have been addressed, by whom, and to what effect, this collection of essays examines how public institutions and citizens have interacted to agree on the best course of action for progress in their respective cities.

Reviews

"A unique resource for scholars and practitioners in conflict studies, international relations, urban management, and public administration." —Dr. Brendan Murtagh, author, Belfast: Segregation, Violence and the City

"Bridging peace studies and public administration and using nine urban 'diagnostic sites,' Divided Cities: Governing Diversity turns us away from abstract diplomatic formulas of peacemaking and towards an urban and pragmatic approach toward understanding and addressing divisions." —Professor Scott A. Bollens, author, City and Soul in Divided Societies

Author Biography

Annika Björkdahl is a professor of political science at Lund University and the editor in chief of Cooperation and Conflict. She is the author of Rethinking Peacebuilding: The Quest for Just Peace in the Middle East and the Western Balkans and War and Peace in Transition, and her work has been published in the Journal of European Public, Peace and Change, and Security Dialogue, among other publications. Lisa Strömbom is an assistant professor of political science at Lund University, where she serves as the director for peace and conflict studies, and is currently part of the editorial team for Cooperation and Conflict. She is the author of Israeli Identity, Thick Recognition and Conflict Transformation, and her work has been published in journals including European Journal of International Relations, the European Legacy, Mediterranean Politics, and Peacebuilding.