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With the Erasmus Initiative ‘Vital Cities and Citizens’, Erasmus University Rotterdam wants to help improve the quality of life in cities. In vital cities, the population can achieve their life goals through education, useful work and participation in public life. The vital city is a platform for creativity and diversity, a safe meeting place for different social groups.
Contribute to the quality of city life
Over half of the world’s population lives in cities. This will have risen to 66 percent by 2050. Cities in Asia and the sub-Sahara in particular are faced with mass migration from rural areas. As a result, the poor population in these cities is growing at a rapid rate. Globalisation, technological change, international migration and growing inequality are increasing the complexity of the social structure and cultural makeup of cities worldwide.
By exploring how social changes affect city life, researchers can help cities to flourish. In this Erasmus Initiative, researchers from different disciplines work closely together to identify the conditions for equal opportunities in life, safe living environments and harmonious co-existence for an increasingly diverse population.
“Cities can be seen as interesting living labs to study the complexity of today’s societal challenges, which forces us to mobilise knowledge and experiences from different disciplines and groups, as well as to explore what kind of actions could be pursued, in close collaboration with all kinds of societal partners. Vital Cities and Citizens offers demonstrates that scientific knowledge and societal relevance can go hand in hand,” Professor Victor Bekkers, Dean Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
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