From glitch epistemologies to glitch politics

Abstract

Given the influential (but incomplete) characterization of cities as computers, new ways of disrupting ruling urban computational logics become crucial to reimagine cities and urban life as they are constituted in the 21st century. Addressing this need, Agnieszka Leszczynski and Sarah Elwood center the notion of the glitch to develop glitch epistemologies. These are ways of knowing digitally mediated environments against the ruling urban computational logics. Building on the glitch's capability to both unveil and disrupt such dominant logics, the authors advance glitch epistemologies as a means of political and material urban change. This commentary examines the ramifications and potential of glitch epistemologies for reimagining cities. In view of such potential, the commentary argues for the urgent task of drawing their substantive connections to urban politics not only to realize the possibilities opened by glitch epistemologies to make new urban futures, but also to decide which futures to make.