Liam Aldous
Big ideas
Urban transformation often begins on a local scale, as these inspiring initiatives prove
Quality of Life Survey: Metropolis now
You want a city that’s well run, delivers on life’s essentials and is fun too? This is our ranking of the top 25 in the world.
All hands on deck
Meet the crew of the Spanish medical ship bringing salvation to anyone who finds themselves in choppy waters.
Business
Staying safe on Kampala’s roads and we give €5,000 to a stationery-shop entrepreneur.
Diplomacy
Promoting the Spanish tongue, Finnish education models and the Nobel Peace prize winner whose women’s movement helped end Liberia’s civil war.
Shapely numbers
From furnishings and fixtures to full refurbishments, we celebrate 50 winning design innovations.
Future thinking
In his foundation, Norman Foster has brought together an enthusiastic team of architects, urbanists and designers who share his energy and passion.
Going up
Rome finally gets its own grand department store: a €250m gamble by Thailand’s Central Group that turns archaeology, ambition and 800 brands into the city’s newest must-visit address.
Retail therapy
From covered arcades to century-old curtain shops, Osaka's shoppers favour face-to-face commerce over convenience — proof that Japan's second city still prizes conversation as much as consumption.
