IIHS Annual Research Conference to be held from January 15–17, 2026, in Bengaluru and online
The 10th edition of IIHS’s Annual Research Conference will be held from 15–17 January 2026 in Bengaluru and online. | Source: IIHS (Indian Institute for Human Settlements)
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) has announced the tenth edition of Urban ARC, its Annual Research Conference, scheduled to take place from 15–17 January 2026. Themed “Contested Terrains: Space, Place and Scale,” the conference invites academics, researchers, and practitioners to engage with evolving debates around spatial politics, governance, and belonging in urban and regional contexts.
The event will be held in a hybrid format — both virtually and at the IIHS Bengaluru campus in Sadashivanagar — continuing its commitment to fostering inclusive and interdisciplinary dialogue on urban studies.
Re-examining Space, Place, and Scale
The 2026 edition of Urban ARC seeks to revisit foundational concepts of spatial theory, positioning space, place, and scale not as fixed or self-evident categories, but as contested terrains where meanings, identities, and power relations are continuously produced and negotiated.
Drawing inspiration from theorists such as Doreen Massey, the conference theme underscores that space is always in the making — relational, networked, and politically charged. Participants are encouraged to re-anchor these concepts in the grounded realities of everyday life, governance, and environmental transformation.
Exploring Inequalities and Power Dynamics
The conference description emphasizes critical issues such as spatial inequality, displacement, ecological contestation, caste, race, gender, and digital surveillance. These interconnected dynamics, it notes, shape access to land, infrastructure, safety, and belonging.
From algorithmic governance and artificial intelligence to environmental crises and forced migration, Urban ARC 2026 situates spatial questions within the urgencies of contemporary life — where politics of territory and belonging intersect with emerging technologies, authoritarian spatial logics, and climate vulnerabilities.
A Call for Reflexive and Situated Scholarship
Under its call for papers, Urban ARC 2026 encourages reflexive, interdisciplinary research that interrogates how power and governance operate across scales — from the hyperlocal to the planetary. Researchers are invited to explore questions such as:
- How do spatial categories govern, exclude, or resist?
- How is value produced and circulated across spatial hierarchies?
- What happens when we trace issues from local to global contexts?
- How do digital technologies reshape spatial experience and control?
The conference also highlights the need for new solidarities, forms of care, and reimagined practices of belonging amid global instability and crisis.
Submission Details
- Deadline for Abstracts: 10 November 2025
- Announcement of Selected Papers: 1st Week of December 2025
- Conference Dates: 15–17 January 2026
- Format: Hybrid (IIHS Bengaluru and Online via Zoom)
Abstracts (1000–1500 words) must be submitted in Word format (.docx) following APA style, with Open Sans 11 pt font and 1-inch margins. IIHS notes that participation in Urban ARC is free of charge, with no fees for applying or presenting.
About Urban ARC
Since its inception, Urban ARC has been a significant platform for dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers focused on the urban condition in India and the Global South. Over the past decade, the conference has examined themes of housing, migration, informality, climate change, and governance — contributing to a critical understanding of how urban futures are shaped.
Location:
Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Sadashivanagar, 2nd Main Road, Bengaluru – 560 080
(Hybrid format: in-person and online)
Copyright:
All original works remain with the authors. IIHS will use material only with prior permission.
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