2026 National Urban Rat Summit
The City of Boston will host the second annual 2026 National Urban Rat Summit on September 23–24, 2026.
This summit will convene cities, academic researchers, and public health professionals from across the country and around the world to advance practical, data-driven strategies to reduce urban rat populations.
Summit Overview
Event Information
- Where: Boston Massachusetts
- When: September 23 or 24, 2026
- Register online to watch the event!
Reach out to rats@boston.gov with any questions!
2026 Focus Areas
Building on the momentum of the 2024 National Urban Rat Summit, the 2026 Summit will highlight practical solutions cities can put into action right away. From containerization and waste-system reform to technology-enabled monitoring, the focus is on strategies that reduce rodent populations and improve daily life for residents.
Themes for this summit:
- Rodenticides and Birth Control Studies
- Sewers and Underground Systems
- Problem Locations and Challenging Sites
- Trash Management
- Importance of Data and Emerging Tools
- Communication, Coordination, and Interagency Collaboration
Apply To Present
We are inviting peer Cities and academic researchers to submit research proposals and presentations focused on advancing urban rat mitigation to be presented at the 2026 Summit!
Topics for presentations include:
- Innovative Rat Control Methods and the Role of Data to inform decisions and assessments
- Waste Infrastructure and Trash Management Improvements
- High-Risk and Complex Environments
- Governance and Cross-Agency Collaboration
Selected presenters will share applied research, pilot programs, and scalable models that other cities can replicate.
Click below to submit your abstract, presenter information, and session format preference.
- Submission Deadline: May 1, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: June 1, 2026
