Diversity has become a key feature of societies today and is particularly tangible in urban centres. While people of diverse national, ethnic, linguistic and faith backgrounds have immensely contributed to post-war prosperity, inequalities related to origin, culture and skin colour persist, and anxiety about pluralism, identity and shared values is often politically instrumentalised. The challenge of fostering equity and cohesion in culturally diverse societies has become more acute.

Cities are uniquely placed to imagine and test responses to this challenge. But how can decision-makers and city officials change their strategic approach to integration and inclusion, and adopt an “intercultural lens” to policy-making? How can they manage diversity as a resource, reaping on its benefits while minimising its risks?

The Intercultural Cities Step-by-step guide is a practical tool for local authorities to apply the urban model of intercultural integration and inclusion. It is based on the Intercultural Cities policy model that has been tested, developed and validated over the past 11 years, building on leading cities’ practices, research, and Council of Europe’s human rights standards.

This Guide reflects the lessons learned and showcases the examples of cities approaching diversity with a positive outlook in order to facilitate the building of trust and shared identities across diverse groups. It enables public authorities wishing to explore and apply policies that harness diversity for personal and societal development to start a journey that will bring them into the future.

The Intercultural Cities policy model has been endorsed by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and it’s now expanding to the national level.

• ICC Step-by-step guide (soon available also in French)