Overlooked cities: Shifting the gaze in research and practice in global urban studies

There is growing scholarly attention to secondary and intermediary cities as their relevance for global urban development is increasingly recognised. We call urban academics, scholars, policymakers and practitioners to situate debates on these cities critically with the notion of “overlooked cities” to understand how knowledge from such cities is produced, circulated and negotiated in urban research and practice. This commentary aims to foreground the value, urgency and disruptive agency of individual and collective “overlooked cities” vis-à-vis the historical and contemporary debates to pave the way for alternative agendas for global urban studies. •The notion of “overlooked cities” offers a renewed impetus in global urban studies.•Urban knowledge (re)production is a contested space in secondary and intermediary cities.•Grassroot organisations and network of cities offer a distinct and critical praxis.•Reaffirm the urgency and significance to re-imagining our collective urban future.