With 1,200 participants from 96 countries registered, the RC21 Conference 2026 in Vienna was the largest RC21 conference to date. The University of Vienna’s main building and courtyard provided a wonderful setting for social and academic exchanges. During the conference, participants discussed their research in more than 120 sessions under the theme “Inequalities and the City: Old Issues, New Challenges”.

Day 1 (20 July, 2026)

• Sebastian Schütze, rector of the University of Vienna welcomed all participants in a festive atmosphere in the university’s grand hall (Großer Festsaal)
• In the first keynote, Mario L. Small discussed the promises and perils in the study of social inequality in times of the data revolution. Drawing on empirical research on neighbourhoods, he reflected on the opportunities and limitations of using large-scale data to answer important questions about urban inequality.

Day 2 (21 July, 2026)

• Javier Auyero’s keynote invited us to reflect on the enduring value of ethnographic fieldwork in understanding urban inequalities. Drawing on three decades of social scientific research, the keynote explored why close engagement with everyday urban life is crucial for explaining how inequality and marginalisation are produced and how they might be challenged.
• The reception at the Town Hall of the City of Vienna offered a special atmosphere to connect and for the ceremonial presentation of the award for the best poster

Day 3 (22 July, 2026)

• Vanesa Castán Broto’s Keynote “Life in the City in Times of Climate Urbanism” explored how cities are responding to climate change while questioning who benefits from these transformations. Drawing on collaborative research in the Philippines, the keynote highlighted the importance of everyday urban experiences in addressing climate challenges and creating more just and inclusive approaches to urban climate action.

Before the RC21 Conference, the 8th Doctoral School in Comparative Urban Studies brought together 25 early-stage PhD Students from 17 nationalities and various disciplines for an intensive 10-day Programme of lectures on methods/approaches in comparative urban studies, and focused discussions of each of their individual Research Projects. The Doctoral School was jointly organised and funded by the RC21, the IJURR Foundation and the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (IJURR)

Along with the RC21 Conference, the IJURR Virtual Issue, “Vienna at the Crossroads: A “Just City” Under Pressure”, was released which is now available to read here.