Welcome to the first issue of the Ovi Thematic eMagazine for 2026. As we step into this new era for the publication, we do so carried by an unexpected and heartening momentum from Ovi History’s success.
The recent resurgence of interest in our renewed platform has filled us with a cautious, yet potent, optimism. It has proven that the hunger for thoughtful, critical and human-centric exploration is not just alive, it is thriving. And we begin this ...renewed chapter with another test, a test to see if the spirit of inquiry we cherish still resonates and still sparks a light in a world that often feels shrouded in shadow.
This issue of the Ovi Thematic eMagazine is dedicated to the ground beneath our feet and the roofs over our heads: Urbanism and Housing.
We launch this issue amidst a cacophony of global crises. Wars, geopolitical tremors, economic volatility and environmental warnings dominate the headlines, creating a pervasive sense of uncertainty. Yet, woven through these global challenges is a more intimate, more immediate struggle that touches us all: the crisis of place. Where we live, how we live and whether we can afford to live with dignity has become one of the most urgent issues of our time.
From working-class families being priced out of the cities they helped build, to middle-class professionals for whom homeownership is becoming a fading memory, the pressure is universal. Our cities, once beacons of opportunity and community, risk becoming playgrounds for the few and battlegrounds for the many. We see it in the rise of precarious housing, the hollowing out of vibrant neighbourhoods and the stark inequality etched into our skylines. The very concept of "home" as a sanctuary and a foundation for life, is under threat.
In the face of such complexity, Ovi does not pretend to have all the answers. The problems are too layered, too deeply entangled with economics, politics and human aspiration for any single, simple solution.
But what we do have are questions. We believe that asking the right questions is what opens doors, challenges tired assumptions, and paves half the road toward meaningful change.
- How do we reconcile the city as an "economic machine" with the city as a home?
- Can we truly design our way out of isolation and into genuine community?
- Whose voices are being heard in this process, and whose are being systematically silenced?
- Is housing merely a commodity to be traded, or is it a fundamental human right to be guaranteed?
These questions are the seeds of new ideas, new policies, and new ways of perceiving the spaces we inhabit.
As you turn these pages, we invite you to join us in this inquiry. Let’s question the concrete canyons we’ve built, the green spaces we’ve lost, and the communities we dream of forging. Let’s explore the urban landscape not just as it is, but as it could be.
Finding the right questions is more than half the battle; it is the very beginning of building a world we can all, finally, call home.
Of course this is Ovi and that also means that opinion articles, poetry, fiction and art would be part of the eMagazine as they have always been since the very beginnings.
So, with no further due, welcome to the new Ovi Thematic Issue
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Enjoy reading the ‘Urban Fractures’ issue,
Thanos Kalamidas
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