Introduction

The introduction presents the core theoretical foundations of the concept of refiguration which is underlying the contributions to this volume. The chapter elaborates the distinction between spatial conflicts and conflictual spaces which has been guiding the empirical analyses in the following studies. Spatial conflicts reveal tensions between competing spatial logics that effectively occur across scales, from local disputes to transnational confrontations. Conflictual spaces relate to the social phenomena where such tensions materialize, ranging from subjective orientations and “private” spaces to cities, collective protests, and conflictual discourses on online platforms or institutions of internet governance. Conflictual spaces reflect the latent and manifest dynamics of spatial conflicts and the tools developed to manage or contain them. To grasp these conflicts analytically, we follow Martina Löw's model of four spatial figures—territoriality, networks, places, and trajectories—and emphasize their roles. The interplay between these spatial logics generates new, but also contradictory spatial arrangements, leading to disputes over resources, identities, and power. With this new framework, we position conflict as both a driver and an outcome of refiguration, providing a lens to understand how spatial figures mediate social change through their conflicting logics.