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The Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development initiated in 1999 a Neighbourhood Management scheme for 15 urban areas to tackle the growing social segregation. Projects to improve living conditions in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are financed with funds from ERDF, the Federal German Programm "Socially Integrative City" and the Land of Berlin. Participation of the inhabitants in decision making and in the various projects is key to Berlin's approach.

The scheme is constantly monitored, adjusted and improved. Now, 10 years on, 35 neighbourhoods (with 5000 to 25000 inhabitants) are included.

This is why the Senate Department for Development wants to learn from the experiences of other European cities and share integrated approches to strengthen social cohesion in neighbourhoods.

Petra Nothdorf is head of unit Neighbourhood Management in the section "Socially Integrative City" of the Senate Department for Urban Development.

Prof. Dr. Rotraut Weeber is a sociologist based in Stuttgart. She teaches at Nuertingen University. She is one of five managers of Weeber + Partner Institut for Urban Development and Social Research with four decades of experience in project management, evaluation and research in urbanism in many parts of Germany.