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
Farming in the city
We investigate the trend of urban farming and the environmental benefits that can be gained by reducing the distance between food production and consumption.
Tall Stories 298: Gotthard Base Tunnel
Jessica Bridger takes a trip through the world’s longest railway tunnel to marvel at this engineering feat running through the Swiss Alps.
The last mile
We take a look at the world of last-mile delivery and investigate how technology can help the service to meet growing demand while remaining efficient and green.
Tall Stories 297: The Saddledome, Calgary
Tomos Lewis explores one of Canada’s most distinctive sporting arenas, the future of which is threatened by proposals for a new, albeit less characterful, event venue in Calgary.
For Ukraine
As Russian bombardments continue to target Ukraine’s urban centres, forcing citizens to the borders or to seek shelter underground, we ask people from all over the country to tell us about the place they call home.
Tall Stories 296: Pharmacy Salvator, Bratislava
Alexei Korolyov visits one of the most beautiful yet neglected buildings in Bratislava, which the city plans to reopen in all of its former splendour.
Jyoti Gondek, mayor of Calgary
On this special edition of ‘The Urbanist’, Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek joins Monocle’s Tomos Lewis to discuss her first few months in office and what’s ahead for Canada’s her city.
Tall Stories 295: Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo
Fiona Wilson visits a rare surviving example of Japanese Metabolism, whose stacked modular capsules are soon to be disassembled.
Large-scale redevelopment
Can large-scale developments become catalysts for better neighbourhoods? This week we explore repurposing efforts at London’s Battersea Power Station and in an old Sears retail space in New York state.
Tall Stories 294: Roma, Mexico City
Louis Harnett O’Meara takes us through the streets and history of the neighbourhood where Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 film of the same name is set.
