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 347: Park Strip, Anchorage
Gregory Scruggs talks us through the various ways that Park Strip has been used since the birth of Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage.
Wilding the city
As urban areas grow, how can we ensure that the link between nature and our cities isn’t severed? We visit Bangkok’s recently opened Benjakitti Park, discuss Ben Wilson’s new book ‘Urban Jungle: Wilding the City’ and go hiking in Philadelphia’s Wissahickon.
Tall Stories 346: Paharpur Business Centre, New Delhi
Geetanjali Krishna visits the so-called “healthiest building in Delhi” to find out how greenery is helping to fight back against air pollution.
Books and banks
How can ordinary city buildings have an extraordinary effect on their communities? We explore libraries to banks to see what impact they’re having on their neighbourhoods and what connection they have with citizens.
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.
