Affairs
Page 311
Creative directors
Quality of life isn't just cycle lanes and roof gardens. Meet five creative players who are using culture to engage residents and improve their neighbourhoods, from Los Angeles to Johannesburg and Tokyo.
Expo 35: Taipei
The right mixture of progress and chaos makes Taiwan's capital a fun place to live. It has the world's most advanced cashless payment system alongside sprawling, hectic night markets.
Expo 35: Rio de Janeiro
With stunning natural beauty, vibrant residents and the upcoming Olympics, Rio de Janeiro is poised for an exciting future. Efforts to improve infrastructure and reduce poverty are underway in this historically rich city.
Master Planner – Jan Gehl
Danish architect Jan Gehl is improving quality of life in cities across the globe, taking the focus away from the car and putting it back on people, with pedestrianised streets and improved cycling infrastructure.…
Our time has come
While some countries have eccentric time-keeping, New Zealand sees its time zone as a potential economic advantage, hoping to attract investment and lead Asia-Pacific's financial services market.
Oceania
New Zealanders' blasé attitude to living on top of a massive fault line, plus how Fiji's leader has dealt with his ex-convict brother-in-law - by appointing him to a top rugby position.
Africa/Middle East
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and his "man of the desert" style, plus the unlikely new sport in the UAE - ice hockey.
Europe
Relations between Poland and Russia thaw, the new get-out-of-jail card for pious prisoners in Georgia, plus Malta's version of the World Cup - for nations that don't exist.
Asia
The Malaysian PM's motorcade, Japan's special town for pensioners, and how the Haitian earthquake became a chance for Taiwan to make its mark.
Observation
When volcanic ash stranded Monocle staff, there were far worse places to be than Hong Kong. Its can-do attitude and impeccable service vindicated our decision to open our new Asia bureau there.
