Compassionate Cities as Catalysts for Social Innovation: Tackling Segregation and Inequalitie.

This mixed-methods study was designed with the goal of investigating the influence of compassionate communities and cities (CC) in mitigating urban segregation and social inequalities, highlighting social innovation and social entrepreneurship as central mechanisms of intervention. CCs propose a reconfiguration of urban planning, emphasizing the empowerment of citizens and the fulfillment of their needs. The study was conducted in the city of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, where nine projects of civil initiatives were examined. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with government officials to assess how the city incorporates the concept of compassion and the impact of these initiatives. The results indicate that the non-governmental sector is crucial in promoting effective collaboration, identifying opportunities to enhance the compassion project in the context of urban design and social innovation. This study suggests that the compassionate approach in cities can serve as a catalyst for the development of innovative solutions to complex social challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]