“Sensing the City” was the title of the international sociology conference RC21 of the International Sociological Association which took place from July 14-16. The Research Committee 21 was founded in 1970 with the aim of promoting empirical and theoretical research on interdisciplinary issues of urban and regional development and to establish an international network to advance the field. Peter Dirksmeier and Angelina Göb invited scientists who analyse social cohesion in urban contexts to participate in the panel “(Dis)Cohesion as sense of urbanity”. As part of the organisation of the panel, we asked how social cohesion is experienced, lived and learned in global urban contexts and how this can be linked to our current research at the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) at the Hanover Branch. In addition to exchange and collaborate, the panel served to enhance concepts and approaches of space-related cohesion research. In particular, we discussed the question of identifying (dis)cohesive processes of appropriation and negotiation that residents implement in cities, the forms of cohesion that emerge from these interactive moments, and how they affect coexistence.
