ABSTRACT
Given the fact that local governments are usually entrusted with the primary responsibility for culturally and religiously sensitive matters, the promotion of social development and a safe environment are complex demands faced by cities. The potential for development-inhibiting tension and conflict caused by improperly governed multi-cultural cohabitation is clearly present. Around the world many issues concerning culture-related conflict, both between members of society and between the institutions of government and citizens, have challenged governments, and the cases that reached the courts were often concerned with the complexities of urban cohabitation. This chapter explores typical instances of tensions arising from cultural differences in urban societies for the purposes of drawing attention to the nature of the problems that the authorities are required to resolve. The manner in which especially courts in jurisdictions professing liberal democracy tend to seek solutions by invoking cultural and religious neutrality is investigated against the background of the notion of constitutionalism. The core question being addressed is whether a principled solution can be found for the mitigation of tensions arising from the increasing cultural diversity in the cities of a globalising world in order to promote cultural inclusiveness and urban safety.
