Multi-Locality in Times of Transformation

Multi-locality covers several aspects of living and working. The practice of living in more than one place at the same time has become a widespread feature of contemporary societies. It concerns an increasing number of people across different social groups and life situations: for instance, work-related commuters, Living Apart Together couples, patchwork families, children in joint custody, seasonal and transnational workers, students, expatriates, or secondary residents. Multi-local working takes place across a flexible network of locations – including cafeterias, libraries, coworking spaces, public transport, as well as home and office – chosen as needed (Di Marino & Lapintie, 2018).

Multi-locality is not merely an individual lifestyle choice, but a phenomenon deeply embedded in social structures, spatial arrangements, infrastructures, migration and mobility regimes, and regional development dynamics (Di Marino et al., 2024; ARL, 2021; Schier et al., 2015). Today, multi-locality unfolds in a context of profound societal transformations and socio-ecological and political crises, including climate change, geopolitical conflicts, technological change and digital dependence, demographic change, the rise of right-wing political parties and societal polarisation, or the ongoing restructuring of work and care (Jorgensen et al., 2026; Rakowski et al., 2025). These transformations raise new questions about the socio-spatial implications and tensions of living at different places, the governance of intermittent populations, and the sustainability and resilience of cities, suburban or rural areas, as well as whole regions.

We invite contributions that explore multi-locality as both a response to and a driver of socio-spatial change. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary perspectives that connect multi-locality research to broader debates in urban and regional studies, mobility studies, housing studies, sociology, planning, and political geography, among others. Contributions may be empirical or conceptual and may draw on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches. We also encourage papers that reflect on implications for policy, planning, and governance in times of transformation.

The meeting investigates how multi-locality is shaped by, and responds to, ongoing crises and transformations. We welcome papers engaging with (but not limited to) the following thematic fields:

Multi-locality and Crises:

• How are multi-local living and working arrangements shaped by overlapping crises such as climate disruption, rising energy prices and inflation, or geopolitical instability?
• In what ways do multi-local households and multi-local workers experience resilience or vulnerability under conditions of uncertainty?

Multi-locality and Transformation of Work:

• How are transformations of work – such as hybrid work, mobile professional lives, and multi-sited organisational arrangements – reshaping multi-local living and working practices?
• What new forms of precarity, inequality, or flexibility emerge through multi-local working arrangements?

Multi-locality, Families, Care and Well-being across the Life Course

• How are family configurations, transnational family relations, and care relations and practices organised across multiple places in multi-local everyday life? What are the emotional and mental health implications of living intermittently between different places?
• How do biographical transitions across the life course – such as separation, parenthood, ageing, education, or retirement – shape multi-local arrangements and experiences of well-being?

Multi-locality and Digitality:

• How do digital infrastructures enable, structure, or constrain everyday multi-local living and working practices?
• How do digital inequalities across territories influence access to hybrid workspaces and multi-local opportunities?

Spatialities and Temporalities of Multi-locality – Spatial Development, Mobilities and Justice

• How do different infrastructures, territorial inequalities, and uneven access to services enable and simultaneously reshape multi-local living arrangements as well as patterns of spatial development across regions, in particular in relation to waiting times and crisis-induced disruptions?
• How do public debates and stigmatizing narratives influence the formation and perception of multi-local arrangements, and how does multi-locality relate to discussions of “left-behind” regions?

CONFERENCE DETAILS
The annual meeting will take place on 26–27 November 2026 at the ILS – Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development in Dortmund, Germany. We welcome contributions from scholars at all career stages – also if they are not member of the European Network for Multi-locality Studies. PhD students and early-career researchers are especially encouraged to submit initial research findings.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format to accommodate participants who may face travel constraints. The working language of the conference is English.

FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
There is no participation fee. If attending in person, participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

APPLICATION
Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words including references as well as contact details and affiliation of the authors to Lisa Garde (lisa.garde(at)ils-research.de) and Cornelia Tippel (cornelia.tippel(at)ils-research.de) by 30th May 2026. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed, and authors will be notified of decisions in mid-July 2026.

COMMITTEE

• Scientific committee: Tatiana Bajuk Sencar (ZRC SAZU Ljubljana), Lenka Formánková (Charles University Prague), Lisa Garde (ILS Dortmund), Tino Schlinzig (ETH Zurich), Cornelia Tippel (ILS Dortmund)
• Local organising committee: Lisa Garde (ILS Dortmund), Cornelia Tippel (ILS Dortmund)

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Dortmund!

For any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the local organisers Lisa Garde (lisa.garde(at)ils-research.de) and Cornelia Tippel (cornelia.tippel(at)ils-research.de).

CfP (PDF)