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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
Summer book club, part 1
We call our summer meeting of The Urbanist book club with two titles that tell stories of American urbanisation, from the suburban boom and Asian immigration to the creation of Chicago’s iconic skyline.
Sound spaces
We explore how designing with acoustics in mind can shape our urban environment and the effect of music spaces on a city’s social fabric.
City profile: Bratislava
Change is afoot in the Slovak capital. We meet Matus Vallo, Bratislava’s bass-playing architect mayor, and his unofficial network of urban change-makers to hear about the city’s renaissance. From improved public spaces to the…
Toronto’s mayoral election
As Toronto prepares for a snap mayoral election on 26 June, we explore the urban issues at stake and hear how the vote presents an opportunity for change.
Rethinking spaces for transport
We explore some examples of adaptive reuse that are transforming old transit hubs – and designing new ones. Plus: the annual European Tramdriver Championship.
Obstacles to innovation
We assess some novel city plans and the obstacles that they have to overcome, from safer autonomous cars to dying downtown cores. We then look at what happens when the best features in a…
Sadie Morgan and tackling homelessness
Sadie Morgan discusses the shortlist for the forthcoming Davidson Prize, how our cities can help rough sleepers and how good planning can improve every aspect of urban life, from housing to infrastructure. Plus: a…
Chasing zero
Cities around the world are making commitments to reduce their net carbon emissions to zero. But what are the steps being taken to ensure this goal is achieved, and who is leading the race…
Better community policing
Monocle’s Chris Cermak reports from the Professionalizing Law Enforcement-Community Engagement Training Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to explore how police can better interact with the communities they serve and gain their trust.
The fate of the department store
In this special roundtable discussion, The Urbanist debates what is best for our grand old department stores. Should they be revitalised, repurposed or removed? Henrietta Billings from SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Toby Pentecost of…
