Cities of Texture

In Desired Landscapes #08, 2025

“Cities of Texture” by Konstantinos Pittas opens the latest issue of Desired Landscapes (#08). The essay reflects on different ways of understanding cities. It first presents cities as spaces shaped by human memory, time, and collective experience. It then explores utopian visions of cities as democratic, inclusive, and politically active communities. In contrast, it criticizes contemporary cities as narcissistic, sterile, and driven by individualism and consumerism, leading to social isolation. Finally, it imagines “rebellious” cities that resist human control through breakdown and disorder, potentially becoming refuges for marginalized people. Overall, the text questions how cities can balance memory, community, power, and resistance in modern life.