Inequality and uncertainty: current challenges for cities – ESARN37 III Midterm Conference

For the third mid-term conference we propose inequality and uncertainty as terms to guide our reflections about urban realities.

Both inequalities and uncertainties impact everyday practices, individual and communal identities, fears and (im)possibilities, as well as visions of the future. Both are clearly evident in today’s urban contexts.

It is not possible to ignore the fact that cities are not only moving, vibrant and flourishing spaces, promising hope for better quality of life, but also accumulate and reflect significant problems. We need to recognise the complexity of economic, political, social, cultural and environmental mechanisms, which strengthen existing inequalities and add a great deal of uncertainty to life in cities and urban spaces of the globalised world. We want to gain a better understanding of the impact and consequences of inequality and uncertainty on the urban arena as much as the responses to current challenges in terms of both informal and institutional practices.