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This paper investigates the multiple ways in which the lives of urban refugees are impacted by the presence of refugee camps. It builds on a growing body of literature on the urban refugee experience that recognizes the agency exercised in the rejection of the camp. But it also demonstrates how, in countries with an encampment policy, the presence of camps can limit urban refugees' mobility and their ability to take advantage of all that urban life has to offer. It also highlights the consequences of the choice refugees must make between receiving humanitarian aid in a camp and living unassisted in an urban area. The paper draws on qualitative interviews with refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya and Jordan. It presents conclusions on the inadequacy of the international response, which fails to capitalize on the presence of displaced people in cities, to achieve the supposed policy goal of "self-reliance". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial in the journal "Environment & Urbanization" discusses the need for a developmental approach to urban crises, particularly in situations of protracted displacement. It highlights the importance of recognizing the distinctions between refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) living in urban areas and the challenges they face. The editorial also emphasizes the need for a more rights-based approach, economic inclusion, recognition of agency, and adopting a spatial lens in responding to forced displacement in cities. The discussion focuses on the shift towards an "urban first" strategy and a world without camps, advocating for local initiatives and municipal-led responses to support displaced people in urban settings. [Extracted from the article]

This article serves as the first academic inquiry into the establishment and functioning of community review panels (CRPs) in England. CRPs are an innovation in public participation in planning. The first CRP was established in 2018 to operate within the boundaries of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) in West London. It was set up to mirror the workings of a Design Review Panel, with people selected to serve on the CRP for their local knowledge and ability to participate in substantive discussions. CRPs are now active in six areas of London and Southeast England, predominantly in locations experiencing significant development or regeneration. The article is based on analysis of primary interview and observation data, grey literature on CRPs, and a review of academic and policy debates on public participation and lay knowledge. It explores the potential for CRPs to provide meaningful input into planning and place-making. It concludes that well-managed panels can make meaningful contributions to the development control process, but could be more effectively employed in broader place-making. Both outcomes are contingent on local planners' willingness and ability to serve as brokers of different types of knowledge, testing lay and expert perspectives alongside each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]