Elsewheres, middles and comparisons: Julie Ren, Michele Acuto, and Caitlin Morrissey discuss the challenges of conducting urban studies across language and cultural barriers. They emphasise the importance of understanding nuances of language and culture in the field and critique the parochialism of urban theory. They also discuss the politics of aspiration and diversifying urban studies, emphasising the importance of representation, positionality, and learning foreign languages to expand epistemological perspectives. Julie Ren shares her personal connection to Berlin, where she spent part of her childhood in the 1980s, and reflects on the significance of the Berlin Wall and its impact on her experiences. Show notes are available on the Urban Studies Podcast website: urbanstudiesonline.com/podcast