The migration policy of French town Bayonne is clashing with national directives. The office of French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to limit the number of African migrants crossing the Spanish border. To their chagrin, Bayonne  Mayor Jean-Ren é  E tchegaray has created shelters and supplied hot meals to unemployed and homeless migrants. While the French government is concerned that such trends will transform Bayonne into another Calais, Etchegaray is focused on how to ensure all residents in his city live in "a condition of dignity." T he controversy is demonstrative of tension around "front-line management of Europe's migration crisis and contradictions," especially between urban and national governments. Etchegaray explains: "It was cold and raining. We couldn't leave them [outside] anymore. They were cold, sick and hungry...this was an emergency."

In 2016, Cape Town was voted the best overseas city for restaurants and bars in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards. Despite its internationally-recognized "foodie culture," more than eighty percent of residents in the heart of the city are food insecure. Pricing at big-name supermarkets has "widened the gap between farmer and consumer enormously": although most poor households in Cape Town shop at the big-brand supermarkets, they have a difficult time affording the prices.

But, collaboration between celebrity chefs and nonprofits are supporting food security by bringing marginalized producers into the food economy. Programs such as the Philippi Economic Development Initiative are working with the city of Cape Town to train and accredit small-scale organic farmers and enable them to participate in the mainstream economy.  

Read more here.

In Berlin, rising rent prices has produced potentially radical housing reform ideas. The goal of politicians like district councilor Florian Schmidt is to improve housing affordability and accessibility by making half of his district's home under some form of public or community control. Other ideas include limiting the number of properties owned by individual landlords and instating a five-year rent freeze.  Schmidt claims these policies are not an attack on private ownership, but intend to make "life more difficult for private investors...driving down the price." Surprisingly, these proposals have support from voters across the political spectrum, says one poll. Even so, referendums and votes will not be enough to secure this type of housing reform. According to the German Parliament's Scientific Service, actions like a city-wide rent freeze lie within the purview of the national, not municipal, governments.

Read more here.

A new essay from the George W. Bush Institute, "Cities Point the Way in Promoting Opportunity and Reducing Poverty," examines how some cities have promoted opportunity and reduced poverty Authors  J.H. Cullum Clark, Kristin Kent Spanos, and Sarah Beth Luckey highlight the success of  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Denver, Portland, and Omaha. They assert that affordable housing is crucial for "broad-based prosperity" in these cities. Affordable housing improves the quality of life for working-class people and attracts diverse professionals. In turn, this entices e mployers and businesses that can create high-opportunity environments for disadvantaged people.

Read more here.