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Research unit Sociology at RC21 Vienna 2026

From July 20 to 22, 2026, the RC21 Urban and Regional Development Conference took place at the University of Vienna. This year’s theme: urban inequalities. RC21 is part of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and is one of the most active international networks in urban and regional sociology.

Brilliantly organized by Yuri Kazepov and his team (Urban Sociology, University of Vienna), RC21 Vienna 2026 brought together over 1,200 participants and offered plenty of opportunities for exchange and networking. The Sociology Research Division was represented at RC21 on several occasions.

Johanna Gassner presented a paper based on her dissertation. The title of the paper was “Reframing Socio-Spatial Analysis as a Critical and Transdisciplinary Tool for Socio-Ecological Transformations.” 
The presentation took place in a panel co-organized by Ariane Sept and Alexander Hamedinger titled “Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Urban Research on Inequality: Theoretical and Methodological Challenges in the Context of Socio-Ecological Transformation.” 
Michael Friesenecker (BOKU) and Raphaela Kogler (University of Vienna) also served as co-organizers. 

Margaret Haderer’s presentation, “Going Beyond Eco versus Social: Three Pathways toward Eco-Social Housing Research,” took place as part of the panel “Affordable Housing within Planetary Boundaries: Crossing East–West and North–South Divides”. It is based on work-in-progress in the context of a Special Issue, which she works on with Sören Weißermal (University of Kiel), Lisa Vollmer (IRS Erkner) and Petr Kodenka (Czeck Acadamy of Sciences), one of the panel-organizers. 

For more information on the RC21 Vienna 2026, see https://rc21-vienna2026.org