From Survival to Competition? The Socio-Spatial Evolution of Turkish Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Antwerp

Abstract

In urban studies, the spotlight used to be on the negative side of diversity (i.e. exclusion, racism, discrimination, insecurity). This chapter emphasizes some of the positive aspects of social, cultural, and ethnic diversity, which enrich the quality of urban life and contribute to the competitiveness of the urban economy while multiculturality is recognised as one of the key characteristics of cities. This chapter initially claims that the dynamism generated by social, ethnic, and cultural diversity positively contributes to the economic competitiveness of cities and that social innovation and creativity of the immigrant entrepreneurs are means of economic competitiveness. Exploring socio-spatial patterns of immigrant entrepreneurs in the case of Antwerp-Belgium, the text emphasises that in immigrant businesses there is not only a tactical change from survival strategies to competition strategies, but also a spatial shift that creates new soci-spatial dynamics in the city. Spatial behaviour of immigrants can be seen as a sign of their social innovation that underlines the positive contribution of immigrant businesses in social cohesion.