The Urbanist
Monocle’s guide to better cities. Explore urban innovation, cutting-edge infrastructure, and compact living with insights from planners, architects, and city leaders.
Latest Episodes
How to support the ecosystems that make up our cities
We consider the relationship between our cities and nature as we explore the sponge city concept and learn how our buildings can be kinder to birdlife. Plus: we head to the Finnish city sprinting for carbon neutrality.
Tall Stories 516: Beirut’s Sporting Beach Club
Noor Amylia Hilda visits a gallant collection of concrete platforms and saltwater pools on Beirut’s coast that has outlasted the Lebanese Civil War, the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war and economic crises.
Designing for the future: how the technology sector impacts urban design
We find out how to make the buildings of the future serve the cities of today, with urban-friendly data centre design and reimagined technology districts. Plus: why is Singapore so good at planning for its aging population?
Tall Stories 515: Escaping the urban jungle on Mumbai’s Malabar Hill Forest Trail
Rahul Kadri, the principal of IMK Architects, takes us to a jungle escape in the heart of bustling Mumbai.
How greenery improves our quality of life
To mark the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2026, we look at how a focus on greenery could be a ticket to success. Plus: How Canada is preparing its cities for climate emergencies.
Tall Stories 514: The strange world of Zürich’s Bruno Weber Park
Laura Kramer explores an oasis inhabited by mythical creatures, a fairy-tale tower and giant mosaic-covered beasts on the outskirts of Zürich.
The World Cup effect on our cities
From adapting stadiums in the US to the evolution of Mexico City, we explore what hosting a mega-event such as the World Cup can mean for a city. Plus: Torontonians celebrate and how LA Metro handles the rush.
Tall Stories 513: Finding paradise in the real Shangri-La
Tom Webb takes us to the Chinese city named after the fictional 1933 literary paradise of Shangri-La to sort fact from fiction.
The pillars of architectural practice with a Scandinavian sensibility
Tomas Stokke joins us from Haptic, an architectural firm bringing Scandinavian style to global projects. We also meet Dicle Guntas from Forefront, who aims to revive downtowns through art.
Tall Stories 512: The strange transformation of Nara Juvenile Prison
Gendel Gento takes us to the last surviving example of Japan’s “Five Great Prisons” built during the Meiji era, which has recently undergone a transformation.
