A space of welcome for (almost) everyone: A study on the tension between Brighton and Bologna’s institutional narratives and practices of welcome

Abstract

Grounding on Derrida’s conceptual framing of hospitality as a continuous tension between its conditional and unconditional forms, this article examines the city as a space of welcome located halfway through the continuum explored in this Special Issue. Through an analysis of the institutional narratives fostered by Brighton and Bologna’s local governments, this piece reflects on the tension between narratives and practices of welcome. By unpacking the accounts of local government’s representatives in both cities, I demonstrate how the notion of ‘welcome’, apparently very wide-encompassing, emerges as rather selective. In addition, I reflect on the benefits that cities can achieve when employing such narratives.