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
Urban religion
Religion: star, cross and crescent – we ask what impact religion has on our cities, whether it’s the singing sermon tourist track or church condo conversions.
DIY cities
DIY: From the one big project that transforms your life to the 100 little things you should do in a day, how do you build your own city? We’ll meet the man who set up his own neighbourhood transit authority and the Berliners building their own perfect apartment block –…
The kids are all right
The kids are all right: the big bad city isn’t always made for those who are 2ft tall so we look at how children live in the megacity and why urban design is becoming a new hobby for cities’ youngest residents.
Bloomber’s New York – Part 2
Bloomberg’s New York: In the second of a two-part documentary on Michael Bloomberg’s 12 years at New York City Hall, we look at the former mayor’s management style, why he loves a cubicle and how he built such a loyal team.
Bloomberg’s New York – Part 1
Bloomberg’s New York: the first of a two-part documentary on Michael Bloomberg’s 12 years at City Hall. We look at what New York built – from changing the skyline to opening the High Line – and why some street vendors’ jobs are on the line.
2013 highlights
The best bits: highlights of ‘The Urbanist’ from 2013.
The festive season
Christmas: from festive markets new and old to what to do with all those discarded trees – what does the festive season mean for a city?
New horizons
New horizons: Adelaide’s lord mayor, ‘Celluloid Skyline’ author James Sanders and the slow cities guidebook. Plus: Columbia’s Studio X lands in Istanbul.
Migration
Migration: from a City Hall breaking down language barriers in new communities to a capital at the wrong end of a brain drain.
Urban regulation
By the rules: we look at the regulations that guide our cities – from recycling in Bern to drinking outdoors in Istanbul – which one make sense, and which ones don’t?
