City leaders with a desire
to improve quality of life shouldn’t just draw up plans
at their desks: they need to
see how things work in other towns and cities. The answers are out there. To get you started, we’ve devised…
From its base in Austria’s capital, the International Atomic Energy Agency keeps a weather eye on global nuclear risks. According to its head, Yukiya Amano, the outlook has rarely been stormier.
As the rest of the world closes its doors, Argentina is opening up. Treasury minister Nicolás Dujovne tells us about leaving his country’s protectionist past behind and stepping into a free future.
With Isis in retreat and the political and military situation in the Middle East more fluid than it has been for years, we asked leading experts what the future holds for the region – and terrorist-targeted capitals.
Critics might see Nato’s crumbling headquarters as indicative of the plight of the alliance. But as we discover, ambitions and excitement are still coursing through the corridors as the organisation prepares for its big…
We are all guilty of it: texting instead of calling, emailing instead of dropping in for a chat (Sherry Turkle told us so). But there’s a growing movement underway that’s encouraging people to press the off button and brush…
Monocle’s annual Soft Power Survey charts the strengths and weaknesses of national brands and the changing landscape of cultural influence. But how do the hard truths of politics affect nations’ softer sides? Read on to…
They are considered the most liberal people in Europe – and yet arguably they are among the most right-wing. So now what? With elections looming, Monocle explores a troubling dichotomy.
Londoners overwhelmingly want to remain in the EU. So what would happen if they did just that? We take a look at how the UK’s capital could make it a reality.
Roberto Azevêdo, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, discusses the challenges facing international trade in the light of Trump’s grumbles and the fallout from Brexit.
The capital of Newfoundland and Labrador blossomed during its oil boom but it will need all the fierce optimism born of a harsh past to weather the slump.
In this year’s Quality of Life survey we’ve gone beyond the sun to assess cities not just by their daytime attributes but by their nightly traits too. Read on to get the measure of our nocturnal metrics and find out where…
Whether hosting the Olympics or overhauling a public-transport system, running a city is a daunting task. So who would take it on? We meet seven mayors willing to bear the weight of a city upon their shoulders.
Our wise contributors unravel the riddles at the heart of our cities: what makes them tick, how they can work better and what nocturnal joys lie within.
Africa’s tropical island of São Tomé isn’t so much a paradise lost as an opportunity squandered. Monocle reports on why corruption and misguided ambition are blights on an otherwise unspoilt landscape.
Faced with dilemmas over the expansion of Nato, the fight against Isis and how much to invest in security and defence, Jens Stoltenberg will have a busy inbox next year – but his main priority will always be keeping the…
Faced with the curses and blessings of gentrification, Porto’s mayor is renovating derelict buildings in the historic centre to create social housing and ensure the city does not lose its flair.
Visits to Kazakhstan’s capital and its predecessor reveal a large discrepancy in investment but some shared conundrums: are they part of a country that can survive with President Putin circling – and is it even a country…
Democracy was supposed to transform journalism in Burma with Myanmar Radio and Television acting as a public-service broadcaster. The reality, however, is a media that’s hardly changed at all.
As a thoughtful exhibition on images of war opens at Tate Modern in London, Monocle visits artist George Butler. His ink-and-watercolour scenes bring a new depth to reportage more often the preserve of combat photographers…
From networking events and end-of-year parties to drinks receptions and music recitals, when an embassy throws open the doors it provides the chance to showcase its cuisine and hospitality skills as well as display its own…
Military action tends to have a more visceral impact when it comes to forcing through change but it is the subtle influence of soft power that drives the most meaningful resolutions. In our fifth annual survey we gauge the…
