Beyond a standardised urban lexicon: which vocabulary matters?

Abstract

This epilogue reflects on the introduction and three papers of this special issue in order to highlight the issue’s contribution to the vital conversation of re-wording and re-theorising the urban. To further advance this conversation, we must recognise the very real imbalances of access to resources and power to influence that exist between the global North and global South, including resources to conduct research and power to publish journals. As our cities face multiple and urgent challenges such as the climate crisis, urban inequality, global pandemics and inadequate infrastructure, it is never too soon to re-think, to re-word and ultimately, to re-act the urban lexicon.