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
Tall Stories 345: The Diefenbunker, Ottawa
Paul Logothetis explores the story of Cold War Canada through an extensive network of tunnels and offices built beneath a farming community in Western Ottawa in the 1960s.
Communist Graz
What is it like to live in a communist-run city? For residents of Austria’s second city of Graz, that question ceased being hypothetical in 2021 when Elke Kahr of the Communist Party of Austria was sworn in as mayor. In this special edition of The Urbanist, Monocle’s Alexei Korolyov ventures…
Tall Stories 344: Mercado do Bolhão, Porto
Ivan Carvalho visits Porto’s much-loved Mercado do Bolhão to uncover the legacy of an urban landmark that continues to bring residents together.
The High Lines
Since opening to the public in 2009, New York’s High Line has inspired cities the world over. We explore the route of what’s set to be the Camden Highline, walk along Singapore’s Rail Corridor and return to the original.
Tall Stories 343: Punxsutawney Phil
Chris Cermak looks at the meteorological powers of a particular Pennsylvania groundhog and the annual celebrations that take place in the town of Punxsutawney to mark his famous forecast.
Park life
How has the way in which we perceive our parks changed and how have planners adjusted to our current needs? We explore examples of well-considered green space and ponder what’s next for the park.
Tall Stories 342: Montreal’s Metro
Hester Underhill explores how the metro system beneath Canada’s second-largest city, and its collection of stunning mid-century designed stations, came to be.
US Conference of Mayors
Chris Cermak, Monocle’s Washington correspondent, reports on the US Conference of Mayors. The meeting is an opportunity for local leaders to get together and share best practices – but also for the federal government to show that it values mayors and the power they have over the future of their…
Tall Stories 341: Legislative Yuan, Taiwan
James Chambers ponders the next steps for Taiwan’s parliament building – a centre for the island’s strong democracy famous for its verbal, and occasionally physical, bust-ups.
Urban trends at the World Economic Forum
Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports on the urban trends that will shape our world in 2023 from this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos. We hear from Jeff Merritt, Iryna Ozymok, Tollulah Oni, Diane Binder and Carlo Ratti.
