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
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.
Kongjian Yu explains his ‘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 in with the originator of the ‘sponge city’ concept.
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.
Muscat’s transformation & how design can save our cities
As the capital of Oman begins an era of urban expansion, we speak with the firm tasked with forming a plan for the region’s future growth. Then: we tackle some of the existential challenges facing our urban environments through a new book which places design and architecture in the driver’s…
Tall Stories 425: Embassy of Russia, Havana
Tomos Lewis investigates how Russia’s embassy in Cuba has come to represent renewed ties between the two countries.
Crystal Palace Park, ice-cream urbanism & revamping India’s train stations
We explore some summery stories as the season comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, including how ice-cream-shop owners and urbanists think alike, plans for regenerating London’s Crystal Palace Park and revitalisation efforts for India’s railway stations.
Tall Stories 424: Museu do Amanhã, Rio de Janeiro
Liv Kessler explores the story behind a marvel of neofuturistic architecture stretching out across the water in Rio de Janeiro.
