The 6th NUPE Meeting, 2026

Taking place at NGM2026, 22-25 June, Reykjavík, Iceland

Session Group: Urban Shifts and Political Economy

Urban Political Economy in Transition: Critical Perspectives on Urban Processes in a Polycrisis Era

Call for Papers

This session invites contributions that advance our conceptual and theoretical understanding of how political and economical processes shape urban socio-spatial configurations and vice versa. For decades, critical political economy approaches have remained impactful in the study of urbanization and cities. In this session we aim at deepening our understanding of the role of space, place and scale within politico-economic processes, and nurture a dialogue between critical political economy approaches within the wider field of urban geography. We are particularly invested in investigating the diverse and transitional landscapes of urban political economy in the present poly-crisis era, marked by accelerating socioecological crises, global economic growth slowdown, deepening political and social polarization, ongoing welfare and state restructuring, and a shifting security paradigm. The polycrisis is becoming increasingly acute in cities and regions, manifesting as growing climate, housing and social vulnerability, while also triggering resistance and social mobilisation. The session specifically welcomes contributions that push for theoretical development and/or contribute to expanding the empirical research fronts.

We primarily invite submissions that explore the Nordic context, while also welcoming other international perspectives, across (but not limited to) the following areas of inquiry:

Critical urban political economies of the ongoing geopolitical transformations (e.g. the urban in state-capitalism, the urban dimension of industrial policies, city-state relations in the age of national revanchism/economic nationalism, rescaling)
The critical political economy of race/racialization (e.g. racial capitalism, raced markets, colonialism, apartheid, segregation).
Urban financialization, entrepreneurialism and restructuring of urban provision (e.g. financialization of local government, infrastructure or housing, welfare entrepreneurialism, indebtedness, rent extraction and assetization, green financialization, branding, retrenchment and restructuring of public housing systems, all of which contribute to housing insecurities in the Nordics).
Critical urban political economies of environmentalism and eco-modernity (e.g. the green transition, climate adaptation, energy scarcity).

For questions please contact session organisers Mika Hyötyläinen (mika.hyotylainen@helsinki.fi) and Defne Kadioglu (defne.kadioglu@mau.se)

A submission guideline is found on the conference page of NGM2026: https://ngm2026.hi.is/abstract-submissions/

Please note that you are encouraged to contact the session organizers regarding your paper idea prior to submission.

Abstract submission deadline: 23 March 2026.