Affairs
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Public realm
Residents and visitors to South Tyrol’s Puster Valley are reaping the rewards of an inspired approach to public architecture, from sleek fire stations and light-filled libraries to smart-looking bus shelters.
Here to help
From a farmer-friendly fruit-and-veg seller in Oslo to a modern concierge in Paris and a grocery store in Hong Kong, these ventures are creating careers, cohesion and community spirit in their cities.
Beat the retreat
Our ideal retreat avoids stuffy ceremony. Instead, it offers guests a happy mix of gym classes, nutritious food, and the simple pleasures of an Old Town’s cobbled streets and card players.
Expo: Time capsule
Built in 1939 by Hermann Herter, Zürich’s Strandbad Wollishofen remains a masterclass in municipal design — proof that a lakeside bathhouse can be both functional and utterly timeless.
Built to plan
Building a vibrant metropolis from scratch is no easy feat. Here are three examples of planned cities from different periods of history that have successfully stood the test of time.
x08 Essays
From architects and chefs to writers and directors, our contributors consider what draws them to their favourite cities and what quality of life means to them.
Expo: Best-kept secret
Spread across a picturesque peninsula, Athens offers its residents a choice of beaches to enjoy away from the daily city grind. The views aren’t too shabby either, offering a perfect local escape.
Urban growth: Solitair tree nursery
Cities are often seen as the flipside of nature: synthetic, sleek and sometimes impersonal. For places that pine after being greener, the Solitair tree nursery provides a blueprint. Monocle travelled to the nursery in…
Most liveable city: Tokyo
Marking the biggest shake-up in the survey’s nine-year history, Monocle’s 2015 Quality of Life survey awards Tokyo the number one city to call home. Rising from second place in 2014, the Japanese capital’s defining…
Past tense
Near the beach bars of a holiday hotspot, a stretch of no-man’s land is forever 1974. It marks the frontier policed by the UN’s longest-established peacekeeping force, where success is non-events.
