Calling all early-career academics, researchers, activists, and artists interested in urban theory in Africa! Apply now to be a part of the 2026 UTA-Do African Cities Workshop, supported by the Polytechnic of Turin through the Wagon2Africa TNE project (TNE23-00067 WAGON2AFRICA – CUP E17G24000420006).
The Urban Theory Africa-Doing (UTA-Do) African Cities Workshop is an annual critical urban studies week-long (southern hemisphere) ‘summer school,’ which aims to contribute to making African urban scholarship and imagination more inclusive. Our workshop is supported by public events throughout the year, and a virtual network of alumni and ‘friends of UTA-Do’. Through these efforts, UTA-Do works to democratize access to the resources required to shape and produce information about African cities.
The organisers behind UTA-Do believe that the “think-feel” of “doing” urban studies – actions, practices, and performances – are crucial. For these reasons, our workshop incorporates emergent humanities thinking, intersectional activist politics, and sensory engagement with cities through immersive musical experiences and ethical field trips. These complement conventional urban theory discussions on topics such as the future of urban infrastructure, urban financialization, climate emergencies, and urban politics and governance. Since 2022, UTA-Do has built a burgeoning network of urban researchers, architects, planners, activists and artists within and beyond the continent, and continues to strengthen this community. After two successful summer schools in Nairobi (2022 and 2023), UTA-Do has expanded to other cities. Our 2024 session was hosted in Dar es Salaam, and organisers convened two related workshops in Cape Town in 2025. In 2026, through a partnership with the Urban Center, UTA-Do will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Workshop Details:
Date: 9th -13th Feb, 2026
Location: Addis Ababa
Application: Only applications submitted to this Google Form will be reviewed.
Deadline for application: 30 September 2025