Urban dialogues: Creating inclusive urban spaces in uncertain global times

This workshop will explore the construction of inclusive urban spaces in uncertain global times. One of the major impacts of the global economic crisis is the way it has deepened inequalities at a time when the state’s capacity for public intervention to tackle inequality has diminished. These developments raise questions about what forms of governance step in when the state withdraws and how urban policy can be developed to reflect the interests of all. To address these issues further research is needed to evaluate the opportunities and challenges ahead. There is a need to reflect on the usefulness of previous urban development approaches and explore the potential for alternative structures in both established (UK) and emerging (Brazil) economies. This multi-disciplinary workshop will promote scientific excellence and international collaboration in the field of urban governance with a view to informing future policy in a way that will enrich the lives and wellbeing of all those living in cities.

The workshop is being coordinated by Dr Sarah Ayres (University of Bristol, UK) and Professor Clélio Campolina Diniz (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil) and will have contributions from other world leading researchers, including Professors Roberto Luís de Melo Monte-Mór and Heloísa Soares de Moura Costa (Federal University Minas Gerais, Brazil) and Dr John Harrison (Loughborough University, UK) and Dr Stephen Hincks (University of Manchester, UK).

The workshop will provide a unique opportunity for sharing research expertise and networking. During the workshop early career researchers will have the opportunity to present their research in a multi-disciplinary setting and discuss this with established researchers from the UK and Brazil. There will be a focus on building up links for future collaborations. Participants will be selected on the basis of their research potential and ability to pursue longer term research partnerships.