We’ve covered all bases with our Design Directory, and met the mayors, majors and media taking on this diverse discipline.

The mayor of Colombia’s second city is forging ahead with plans to fight inequality and cut the murder rate. His success may hinge on the creation of new jobs and an influx of foreign business.

It’s twice as big in area as Tel Aviv but it has only 200,000 residents – and a reputation for being dusty and dreary. Be’er-Sheva’s mayor, however, plans to change that. But the makeover leaves little space for the local bedouins.

Nestled in a corner of India is a town of pétanque and pâtisseries: Pondicherry is home to 7,000 French expats. It’s a microcosm of the flourishing business ties between France and India, but is it ready for major economic growth?

From hi-tech US military labs to the traditional textile mills of northern Italy, wool pioneers are forging new fabrics that could change the procurement practices of the world’s frontline forces. We investigate how a natural wonder came back into fashion and what it means for the industry.

What do a textiles business in Japan, a UK shoemaker, a fashion firm in Italy and a publishing company in Lebanon have in common? They are all examples of brands whose obituaries had been written until new life was breathed into them – and, of course, they are all featured here. Monocle discovers the unique challenges of heading back to the drawing board.

As Australia wakes up, journalists, producers and media executives in its most cosmopolitan city prepare for another day fighting for ratings and readers in a fast-changing business. And it’s here, across the breakfast tables, that the battle will be won or lost.

Architect and designer Luigi Caccia Dominioni will turn 100 at the end of this year, having plied his trade in Milan since the 1940s. He works from outside to in, as famous for his exteriors as he is for his interior furnishings company, Azucena.

German luggage maker Rimowa broke into the tough North American luxury market with working practices and corporate ethics transplanted from its Köln home. As it grows its business, the company is confounding those who said it couldn’t make a buck without diluting its brand.

Shinji Kitada’s trade show, Jumble, is an intimate affair – by expo standards – that favours small and medium-sized fashion labels but which has an impressively global roster to match its international ambitions.

From toilets and baths to energy-efficient heating systems, the world’s biggest sanitation trade fair is where you’ll first see the technology that eventually makes it into our bathrooms. Monocle pays a visit.

What Belarus's autocrat president Aleksandr Lukashenko has in his wardrobe, why a new theme park in Greece is ruffling feathers, and Bulgaria's upcoming elections.

South Korea's first female president and her motorcade, why pakistan and Turkey are getting together, and who's the favourite in the Philippines polls.

The runners in the US mayors election get off the blocks and Los Angeles gets off its trolley.

We turn the spotlight on the flight route from London to Baghdad, the ambitions of Nairobi's new senator, and the latest from Bamako.

Australia's tough stance on climate change, and why the Chinese are putting their money on Samoa.

The world goes to cyber-war, Brazil prepares a new rang of submarines and we meet Washington's man in Yangon.

The world goes cyber-war, Brazil prepares a new range of submarines and we met Washington's man in Yangon.

Serbia's car industry, the real cost of wheat and a Q&A with Wim Elfrink of the New Cities Foundation.

The Tasmanian selling rare books in Hong Kong, and the innovative publisher re-issuing art and fashion books in Brazil.

The new international photography fair in London, a new gallery in Toronto and the Frieze show in New York.

Books, films and music to make a date for, plus our culture editor's monthly musings.

This month's style round-up, including hand-stitched shoes from London, chinos from Copenhagen and bags from Vienna.

The restaurants, food products and star dishes on table this month.

Mexico’s new president has drafted a bold to-do list for his country: end poverty, fight crime and radically change worldwide opinion. Monocle caught up with Enrique Peña Nieto in Italy’s capital to find out how he intends to tick them off.

Making tortoiseshell glasses by hand is a rare and exacting skill. One of the last practitioners, Maison Bonnet, is making sure the art survives, thanks to its keen young apprentice.

Film producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen exemplifies the hard graft that goes into getting films onto the big screen in a timely and cost-effective fashion. She tells Monocle about winning an Oscar, shunning Hollywood and celebrating Denmark.

Monocle hops from the property fair in Cannes to the cruise show in Miami.

The objects that fill our homes may not define us but they do have a subtle effect on mood and creativity – so be nice to your subconscious and let the natural, simple and handcrafted surround you.

If you’re going to employ someone to invade your living space for months and reconfigure your home, you really need to trust the person you call. Here are five design studios, from New York to Sydney, who know how to make your interior a thing of beauty.

Inviting interiors, inspiring inventories and artisanal appeal: we’ve picked out three stores that are truly dedicated to design.

The Hyundai Card Design Library has opened in South Korea’s capital, its shelves stacked with thousands of diverse design titles in appropriately impressive surroundings.

‘Playing house’ is one of the more fun adult games. But furnishing a home from scratch is a gradual process and after you’ve bought a property your budget might not stretch to your dream collection. But it is important to dream. Here’s our inventory of things we’d pick to transform a house into a proper home.

B&B Italia is renowned for its curvaceous and audacious design. We dropped in to its hi-spec hideout near Milan to cast an eye over the craftsmanship that defines its globally expanding business.

Set on a mountainside with views over the Atlantic and surrounded by trees and tranquillity, this Rio residence reflects the cosmopolitan lifestyle of its Parisian and Swedish occupants.

In Chiba, photographer Shinichi Ito found the perfect canvas for his laid-back style. A short stroll from the sea, he has crafted a cosy refuge within the wood and concrete shell of a most unusual property.

Photographer Thomas Ibsen’s house, a classic of the post-war ‘funkis’ style characterised by simple lines and clever use of light, is filled with design treasures and new pieces that he’s created.

Layer with gusto this spring to cope with chilly nights in Stockholm, hot flushes in Tangier or a sudden London downpour. That’s our forecast for seasonal success.

Make your workspace orderly, your skin healthy and your drinks cupboard inviting with this month's line-up of Monocle's favourite new products.

Functional meets beautiful in Taiwan’s cultured capital, and its independent shops are abuzz with creativity. We’ve been taking a fresh look at its wares, from cycling to ceramics, and talking to those lighting up the lives of people in the city with their ideas and innovation. Then on the following pages we go global for this issue’s travel picks.

The Swiss carrier has established itself as a trusted link between Lugano and regional airports overlooked by the major airlines. Its focus on premium options and service is winning business clientele.

A revived firm in the Swiss Alps blends cutting-edge technology with hand-built ideals in pursuit of the perfect espresso.

Patagonia combines the best of natural beauty and local culture. In Puerto Varas, ambitious restoration projects are putting the town’s roots centre stage.

Located in a former post office, Kokako was set up by the owner of a coffee company, who believes in being close to his customers.

The son of a greengrocer who sold food on the streets as a child is now one of the world’s top Thai chefs. Ian Kittichai shares his ‘last meal’.

After the demise of its cod-fishing industry, Fogo Island looked to be in trouble. The tide is turning on its fortunes today thanks to a lifeline of cultural projects, a new hotel and jobs.

For our editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé, a carefree springtime to-do list quickly turns into a recipe for how to fix some of society’s bigger challenges.