When: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 10:00 – 11:30 AM Eastern Time (Boston/New York City time)
Where: Virtual
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities for a virtual discussion on the Global Fight to Reclaim the “Right to the City.” The “right to the city” has become a powerful framework for urban social movements and has increasingly shaped conversations in policymaking, law, and international organizations, including UN-Habitat. Yet its meaning remains contested. For Henri Lefebvre, the “right to the city” was an ethos of engagement, the possibility of city residents defining their destinies and freeing themselves from hegemonic models that have marginalized, stigmatized, and excluded many citizens. Reclaiming the “right to the city” requires more than simply taking to the streets; it is about urban residents asserting their expertise and knowledge, though the pathways for doing so differ across place and context. This conversation explores how that vision continues to evolve – and how communities are putting it into practice in cities around the world.
The event is part of the Right to the City exhibition featuring the works of Dominic Moulden, hosted by the Initiative on Cities and generously supported by the Boston University Office of the President and Boston University Art Galleries. The exhibit is currently open to the public (view gallery hours) until August 8, 2026, at the Boston University Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery (855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215).
Speakers
Moderators
- Dominic Moulden, featured artist of Right to the City, community activist, and ethnographic photographer
- Stefano Portelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Rome Tre
Confirmed Panelists
- Aakanksha Badkur (Delhi, India)
- Daniel Manyasi (Nairobi, Kenya)
- Renato Cymbalista (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Marco di Nunzio (Birmingham UK)
- Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal (Bangkok, Thailand)