Affairs
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Five urban escapes
Cities from Tokyo to Turin work because when you you really need to get away, they have rural, beach or mountain retreats on the doorstep. Here are five urbanite playgrounds.
Expo 35: Beirut
International architecture firms and boutique hotels are catching on to Beirut, the friendliest and most vibrant city in the Middle East. Discover a metropolis whose charm means it remains an exceptional place to live.
Neighbourhood Watch
From Dutch bread-making philanthropists to a pioneering food co-op in the heart of London, vernacular retail is thriving. Even an established supermarket giant is getting in on the local act.
Finnish beginning
Helsinki, the World Design Capital for 2012, is having a design renaissance. Officials, academics and designers are inspired to prove it isn’t stuck in the shade of its mid-century heritage.
Gehl force
Celebrated Danish architect Jan Gehl believes focusing city infrastructure on inhabitants' needs, not cars and concrete, improves quality of life. He advocates for a people-first approach to urban planning worldwide.
Go up market
Monocle meets the two visionaries who have shown that the fortunes of an entire neighbourhood can be transformed simply by setting up a weekly market selling local produce.
Hula hopes
Honolulu, our top-ranking US city for the third year running, wants to shed its honeymoon hotspot image. The film industry, renewable energy and agriculture are helping transform it into a new Pacific power.
In good health
A country club needn’t be an exclusive haven for the super-rich. Here, we outline our dream for a perfect health club: open to all, accessible by bicycle and offering only the finest service.
Rebuilding America
These 10 creative ventures – online, community-focused and commercial – are remaking American cities. They include museum-hotel founders, an Art Walk organiser and an entrepreneur creating websites for socially conscious citizens.
Less waltz more disco
The Austrian capital is experiencing a second cultural wave but this time, instead of opera and art museums, it’s electronic music and pop-up galleries causing all the buzz.
