2 May 2013
Episode 81
51 minutes
Emptiness: can blank spaces be good for our cities? In Germany we visit a resort town in the off-season and check out one of Madrid’s main plazas – the emptied Edificio España.
2 May 2013
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Urbanist - latest episodes
Tall Stories 433: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Sou Fujimoto
Each week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and buil…
US elections special
We are using the upcoming US election to put a spotlight on American cities and the challenges they face. We discuss housing struggles, how to get around, the changing world of work, the resulting state of downtown cores…
Tall Stories 432: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Sandra Barclay
Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and bui…
WEF: Urban Transformation Summit
Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from the World Economic Forum’s annual Urban Transformation Summit, which took place in San Francisco this week. We discover the city’s plans to build a resilient waterfront, hear about…
Tall Stories 431: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Kjetil Thorsen
Every week we invite one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to discuss their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and…
Designing for nature
In a special episode in collaboration with the Holcim Foundation Awards, we look at how to design nature into our cities and foster sustainability in the building sector. We meet Laura Viscovich, the Holcim Foundation’s…
Tall Stories 430: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Lina Ghotmeh
Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and bui…
Istanbul special
To mark Monocle’s visit to Istanbul for the annual Quality of Life Conference, we find out what makes the city tick with our local correspondent – Hannah Lucinda Smith. From an up-and-coming neighbourhood to a revitalised…
Tall Stories 429: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Jeanne Gang
Every week on Monocle Radio we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards, the world’s premier competition for sustainable design, to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy…
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat International Conference
We report from the CTBUH International Conference at London’s Barbican Centre where keynote speakers and city-building experts discuss how to do density better.
Tall Stories 428: Havis Amanda, Helsinki
Petri Burtsoff tells the story of Havis Amanda, a beloved fountain and statue in Helsinki, which has recently been restored.
America’s downtowns
At a tough time for downtown districts, we visit San Francisco and Seattle to find out how the urban centres are trying to encourage more footfall and appeal to the public during work and leisure hours.
Tall Stories 427: Room 1742, Queen Elizabeth Fairmont Hotel, Montréal
Paul Logothetis visits the site of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous bed-in protest, where one of the most well-known protest songs was recorded.
Old and young, plus the ‘sponge city’ concept
We look out for the oldest – and youngest – residents of our cities as we explore how design can combat loneliness among the elderly, and how children in Helsinki can learn while enjoying public playgrounds. We also check…
Tall Stories 426: Michigan Central Station, Detroit
Mandy Sinclair explores the story of a disused rail station in the car capital of the US, which has been given a new lease of life by the automobile giant that calls Detroit home.
