Knowing through Fragments: Universalism and Urban Inequality？

This article synthesises the urban theory workshop delivered by Professor Colin McFarlane in his keynote address, ‘Knowing through Fragments: Universalism and Urban Inequality?’, at the University of Manchester on 6 June 2025. The article is organised in two parts. The first part offers a concise exposition of Professor McFarlane’s insights and seminal contributions to global urbanism, transversal urbanism, and the theorisation of fragments, demonstrating how these concepts reconfigure theoretical and epistemological debates between universalist and transversal approaches in urban studies. The second part presents an edited transcript of the post-keynote dialogue between the audience and Professor McFarlane, mapping the questions, critiques, and exchanges on the meaning, causes, and implications of urban fragments. By juxtaposing the keynote with the ensuing discussion, the article highlights Professor McFarlane’s insights on theorising fragments for understanding the relationalities between universalism and particularism, contributing to future urban theorising and research on urban inequality.