ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the way immigrant integration fits with global changes in a society marked by the ongoing breakdown of its industrial framework. Insufficient application of the principles of ‘democracy’ and ‘participation’ that it advocates, means that the ‘politique de la ville’ fails to respond effectively to the aspirations of those seeking involvement in society. The chapter shows that the new problems, linked to acute forms of urban segregation, can become worse and sometimes, as in the case of Vaulx-en-Velin, lead to rioting. The intention was to create a hub that would become a meeting point for all Vaulx-en-Velin residents and give them a sense of pride. The ultimate shaping of the programme presented to the residents of Vaulx-en-Velin was the direct outcome of the cooperative approach, representing an ideological base acceptable to all concerned. Dependent as it was on steadily increasing manpower, the industrialisation of Vaulx-en-Velin is indissociable from the arrival of foreign workers.
