It is said that the concept of social inclusion was developed in France in the 1980s, though just a little knowledge of history will remind us that people of good will and compassion have worked through the centuries to offset the adverse effects of political, commercial and societal decision-makers.

‘New Urban Governance: Urban complexity and institutional capacities of cities’ is a new two-year LSE Cities research project co-funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to examine multiple aspects of municipal planning, management, and governance.