Cities as the strategic terrain of research on contemporary inequalities and uncertainty

Abstract

The authors introduce the conceptual framework of the book, arguing that the “spatial” and “local” perspectives of urban sociology shed new insight on a more profound understanding of inequalities and uncertainty in contemporary societies. They emphasise the relational and dynamic nature of urban inequalities and uncertainty but also their visible and invisible forms and the role of public policies. By using the elusive term of “uncertainty”, they zoom in on particular aspects of urban inequalities that are difficult to measure, but are acutely sensed and experienced by people and often perceived as unfair. This chapter presents the main ideas, concepts and reflections contained in the book.