This chapter compares active inclusion strategies in five European cities with high problem pressure. The focus is on minimum income protection with particular attention paid to social assistance as well as to activation policies and the role of the third-sector in providing support and services. The local active inclusion strategies studied diverge substantially regarding the level of market-oriented, bureaucratic and participatory focus, each case displays its own unique landscape of active inclusion. The legacy of previous local welfare arrangements strongly influences the implementation of active inclusion polices. The main conclusion is that the legacies and the composition of each local welfare system conceptualize the concept of active inclusion, to some degree regardless institutional architecture strategies and changes at both national and EU levels.