European cities are historically characterised by a strong association between social cohesion and competitiveness. However, in recent years, this stability has been affected by strains induced by rising new inequalities and increasing competition among cities. These facts have raised the need for a new understanding of the relationship between cohesion and competitiveness. This paper draws on a selection of social and economic indicators to explore this multifaceted relationship in 50 European cities, selected on the basis of their size and international role. The aims of the analysis are to assess the position of each European city, to identify clusters of cities and to suggest an interpretative hypothesis in order to characterise the particularities of this relationship in European cities.
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