Planning the 'Urban Multilingual Ecosystem'

In her lead editorial of the special issue, Gabrielle Hogan-Brun addresses how language planning can assist in improving the quality of life in diverse communities through such interventions as multilingual signage and services, but also in mediating the forces of globalization and the pressures of urbanization. She writes,

"The empirical studies presented here attempt to capture the nature and the complexity of present-day linguistic diversity in a contrasting range of urban spaces. They explore topdown and grassroots language planning practices in selected cities that bring together more discrete planning agendas at different levels. They look into how these multilingual sites are affected by the processes of globalisation and urbanisation. They raise questions relating to politics and practices among these communities and analyse current challenges and future possibilities."

The four articles include an examination of language policies and linguistic superdiveristy in Southhmpton; language policy in planning in professional contexts in Cardiff; Migrant languages and cultural spaces in urban Northern Ireland; and a comparision of top-down and bottom up language planning in urban Morocco.