Displaced to a place : interventions for refugee integration in cities

Abstract

In recent years, conflict and climate change around the world are not only displacing people at an unprecedented rate but also increasing the years of their displacement. With over 25.4 million refugees globally, the highest number in history, countries are forced to change how they respond to this crisis. In most cases, housing refugees in temporary camps is not sustainable over a long, and a majority of the global refugees end up living in urban areas. Since cities are starting to play an essential role in welcoming this new population, it is imperative for the planning field to understand how the built environment impacts refugee integration. Successful integration into host society is not the sole responsibility of a refugee but rather a process that involves both the refugee and the host community. This thesis investigates factors that affect refugee integration and examines how they play out spatially on a local scale through a case study of the Roxbury neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. The research analysis and case study affirm the influence of place in the refugee experience of community and belonging. Just as displacement is a place-based trauma, refugee resettlement must be approached as a place-based intervention. This thesis highlights the role of planners by outlining the spatial implications of successful integration in addition to introducing a multidisciplinary approach that can empower refugees to not only successfully integrate but to have agency in their new homes.