Affairs
How to cool cities naturally, without resorting to air conditioning
Humanity has adapted to environmental challenges. But to mitigate the effects of a warming world, cities must look to the past to glimpse a better future.
Latest in Monocle Radio
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Pushing the boundary
Tied both historically and economically to Russia and China, democratic Mongolia is navigating tricky terrain as it looks West.
How a school in deepest Alabama is using architecture and civic smarts to revive rural America
In rural Alabama, a university architecture programme is rebuilding the civic infrastructure of long-neglected towns, one project at a time.
London: a runner’s perspective
Traffic-clogged and polluted London may not seem like a runner’s paradise. But there’s more to the city’s offerings than first meets the eye, with its windy streets, architectural variety and abundant greenery. We followed…
Design tours: The world’s best public housing?
The world is urbanising fast. But how do you accommodate people in cities in a way that offers dignity, affordability and a sense of community? Vienna may have a solution.
Meet Europe’s first chief heat officer
Athens is the hottest capital city in mainland Europe and temperatures continue to rise. That’s why Eleni Myrivili was appointed as the city’s – and continent’s – first chief heat officer last summer. We…
Swimming in the Seine
As Paris embarks on a project to clean up the Seine ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, we look at the process of readying the city’s river for its water-seeking dwellers, explore how it…
Meet the photographers: John Balsom
The Jogos da Lusofonia are an Olympics-style sporting event for people from the world’s Portuguese-speaking nations. We dispatched John Balsom – a photographer known for his powerful portraits – to the 2009 games in Lisbon.…
Pivot to the Pacific:Â How the US military is training in the jungles of Hawaii to prepare for war with China
More than 80 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, the surprise military strike still looms large in Hawaii’s memory. Now the US is working to shore up its dominance in the Pacific.
Belgium: state of the nation
With its liberal and energetic approach to diplomacy, and a growing influence in art and sport, Belgium has plenty to offer on the world stage.
Canada: state of the nation
From a thriving economy to potent soft-power credentials, we unpack what keeps Canada on the up.
