2022 was the year that cities would recover from the woes of the pandemic and tackle rising social and economic inequality. Then Putin invaded Ukraine.
Now cities are faced with heightened geopolitical tensions, alongside increased violence, demonstrations and divisions following, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic, the extreme weather events associated with climate change, the rise of alt-right and left movements, fallen democracies, reinvigorated authoritarianism and unequal treatment of migrants.
This year’s conference is concerned with, on the one hand, emerging conflicts, seen as a dynamic interplay between different discourses and actors in «the politics of conflictual governance». On the other hand, it pays attention to social forces that draw in the opposite direction, uniting ordinary citizens in political mobilisation through practices of daily life, and paving the ground for new forms of interaction between citizens and city representatives in «the practices of collaborative governance». We scrutinise the role of institutions and institutional adaptiveness towards new inclusionary initiatives.
Find the full programme here.