Conversation #83

From 17 to 20 June 2026, the IUAV University of Venice will host the European Urban Research Association's annual conference, entitled Cities under strain: Rethinking the ungovernable.

First and foremost, a warm welcome to all those who will be participating in the conference.

The conference aims to discuss new ways of interpreting cities and territories, and to identify the actions taken to effectively address the challenges of a rapidly changing world, particularly those actions that do not become stalled.

In the face of the major environmental, social and economic transitions presently unfolding in conjunction with climate change, global migration, financial crises and the emergence of a profoundly unstable geopolitical context, it is imperative not only to adopt innovative approaches to understand and tackle specific problems but also to comprehend these phenomena in depth and to discern their intricate interconnections.

It is also vital to move beyond established divisions (such as living/inanimate, human/non-human, nature/technology, reality/cognition, centre/periphery, and urban/rural) and adopt new epistemological frameworks that help us to identify connections between problems and solutions that have been previously overlooked. This can empower us to identify and shape the future we envision, starting from the present. It can also help us to understand which actions have already been taken to bring this desired future closer, and to represent it in the present.

IUAV proposed the theme of the conference in winter 2024, following a call issued by the EURA Board in December 2023 for expressions of interest in organising and hosting the EURA annual conferences in the coming years. Since then, the intensification and increasingly evident intertwined character of environmental, economic, technological and social transitions have confirmed the relevance of the topics we wish to explore. Furthermore, the worsening global geopolitical situation has made the direction in which the world is evolving even more uncertain.

The overall theme of the conference will be introduced during the first plenary session, on 18 June, featuring presentations by Patrick Le Galès (Professor of Sociology and Politics, Sciences Po, Paris, and Research Director at CNRS) and Jennifer Robinson (Professor and Chair of Human Geography, University College London). The second plenary session, on 19 June, will see Francesco Bandarin (former Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre) and Maria Gravari-Barbas (Professor of Geography and Planning, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) explore the theme in relation to an issue which is specific to the Venetian context, namely, the impact of tourism on historic city centres and, more generally, on historic urban landscapes. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion with representatives of national and local institutions and associations, moderated by Alessandro Balducci (Emeritus Professor, Politecnico di Milano).

The plenary sessions will be held in the stunning Chapter Room of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This unique venue houses over 16th-century paintings in their original setting.

The discussion will then continue during the nine conference tracks’ parallel sessions, including paper presentations and pre-organised panels, at the IUAV University venue of Cotonificio Veneziano:

• TRACK 01 – INEQUALITIES Tackling inequalities between institutional power and civic alternatives
• TRACK 02 – HOUSING Beyond the market fix: housing governance at the intersections of crisis
• TRACK 03 – MIGRATION FLOWS Migrants’ Struggles for Socio-Spatial Inclusion: Local Policies and Practices in Times of Pressure
• TRACK 04 – ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSITION Adaptation and mitigation strategies between climate change and socio-ecological justice
• TRACK 05 – RISK AND HAZARD MANAGEMENT Shocks, stresses, and the shifting landscape of urban resilience
• TRACK 06 – GOVERNANCE Navigating uncertainty, assembling agency, and reimagining institutions in urban and territorial contexts
• TRACK 07 – KNOWLEDGE INTERSECTIONS Challenges from contemporary urban and territorial context
• TRACK 08 – HERITAGE UNDER OVERTOURISM Reframing the management of change in historic urban landscapes
• TRACK 09 – MOBILITIES Transport and Mobility Spaces. Between reorganisation and innovation

To give participants the opportunity to engage with the city's diverse urban dynamics and enable interaction between the local community and international urban studies researchers, a meeting with several citizens' associations is being held at the La Bocciofila San Sebastiano community venue on the evening of 17 June. On the evening of 18 June, the town hall will host a meeting with the local institutions welcoming the conference.

The social dinner will be held on 19 June at Forte Marghera on the Venetian mainland, a former fort and an extraordinary site in terms of its history and natural surroundings. The Forte Marghera Foundation manages the site with the aim of enhancing and developing the cultural and natural heritage of local fortifications. The social dinner will be organised by Controvento, a non-profit social cooperative which, over the last years, has helped to regenerate Forte Marghera and return it to the public, thanks to the hard work and dedication of its young members.

I hope the EURA 2026 Conference in Venice fosters critical discussion on the future of cities and regions in Europe while bringing together researchers dedicated to international collaboration.

An interactive learning experience has been created by our local organising committee for you, with a variety of mobile workshops being co-created with a range of civic actors and practitioners. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about Venice, including the Venetian lagoon islands and the mainland.

If you have not registered yet, there is still time. Registration for the conference closes on 1 May 2026. Looking forward to seeing you in Venice in June.

Click here to register for the conference.