Migration as an urban resource?: Local stakeholders’ interpretation patterns in comparative perspective

The article takes social scientific debates about migration as an urban resource as its starting point and analyses how different local stakeholder groups perceive migrant economies as a potential for urban development in medium-sized cities in Germany. The paper applies the qualitative interpretation pattern-concept. It aims at a comparative perspective as it examines convergences and divergences not only between the perceptions of different stakeholder groups, but also between the cities. In sum, the study demonstrates that even if migrant economies are perceived as potential for urban development, at least by some actors, this perception does not translate into a strong demand for specific support measures. © 2017, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.