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
Destinations for 2025
We visit two destinations that should factor into your 2025 travel plans. In Portugal we assess the hospitality sector after a record year in visitor numbers, then we tune in to the sounds of Tokyo to hear what sonic attractions await you in the Japanese capital.
Tall Stories 440: Motel Plitvice, Zagreb
Guy de Launey reviews an icon of Yugoslav architecture in a motorway service station just outside Zagreb.
The best of ‘Tall Stories’ in 2024
Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, rounds up his favourite episodes of ‘Tall Stories’ from 2024.
The best of 2024
Monocle’s editor-in-chief Andrew Tuck recalls some of his favourite interviews and reports from the year on ‘The Urbanist’.
A very Urbanist Christmas
Our holiday special brings you a collection of yuletide traditions from cities around the world. Then, we roll out another festive round of ‘The Urbanist’ quiz and give you the perfect gift idea for the urbanist in your life.
Swimmable cities, Battersea Power Station and indigenous retail
Matt Sykes, co-founder and convenor of Swimmable Cities, describes how our urban centres can band together to promote more swimmable urban waterways. Then Sebastien Ricard from Wilkinsoneyre unpacks the transformation of the Battersea Power Station and Mandy Sinclair visits Aaniin – Canada’s first fully indigenous-owned department store.
How municipal architects shape our cities
From the perspectives of towns, cities and countries, we look at the role of the municipal architect today to see how this centralised advisor can help to cut red tape, mould an identity and connect stakeholders for better urban-design choices.
‘The Land is Full’, plus urbanism for young and old
We speak to Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, whose new monograph, ‘The Land is Full’, explains why all land comes with deep history and cultural ties. Then we inspire young urbanists with the author of an architecturally themed colouring book and assess how Singapore will combat loneliness…
The positives of public parks, Kitchener’s glockenspiel and the art of letter carving
We assess all the benefits that public green space brings to a city, visit one of the most German cities in Canada to see how the town glockenspiel brings residents together and investigate the ancient art of letter carving.
Protecting London’s past
We explore some iconic parts of London’s past through ‘London Lost Interiors’, a book revealing the great indoors of the UK capital. Plus: a cylindrical example of brutalist architecture, Space House, which has been preserved for future generations.
