Caring Cities: towards a public urban culture of care?

Abstract

Based on an international literature review and selected case studies, this article discusses the potential of the Caring City policies for an urban public culture of care. In recent years, “the caring city” has entered feminist and urbanist debates and local politics as a concept to overcome the multiple crises of care. The concept draws on a longstanding tradition of feminist research and critique, but is a comparatively new attempt to transform care arrangements at the local level. It addresses the urban as a system of mutual care and a place of daily and (inter)generational care for oneself, others, and the planet. In terms of the importance of local infrastructure in enabling or hindering care, the concept also includes a debate on planning as caring practice. It is enhanced and put into practice by local governments, such as in Barcelona and Madrid (Spain) and Bogotá (Colombia). Here, Caring City policies range from integrated care strategies to neighbourhood care systems, including care centres, mutual support networks, and awareness‐raising. The article provides an overview of Caring City policies, their genesis, objectives, and essential elements. We argue that the concept resonates well with the current quest to develop more sustainable and equitable cities by establishing public urban cultures of care. The Caring City policies’ long‐term effects, however, require monitoring, as the case studies demonstrate how little established Caring City policies still are and how much effort it takes to anchor them in local politics in the long term.