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
Urban lessons from the World Economic Forum and the Holcim Foundation Awards
Carlota Rebelo reports from the World Economic Forum in Davos to share some urban lessons from this year’s meeting. Then: Ed Stocker gives us a run-down on the most recent Holcim Foundation Awards for sustainable construction.
Tall Stories 492: Todo Modo, Florence
Grace Charlton takes us to a literary stalwart and community pillar in Florence.
Development priorities in Canadian cities and a decade of co-operation in Cascadia
We’re joined by former City of Toronto chief planner Gregg Lintern to discuss priorities for Canadian cities. Plus: we visit Cascadia to see what has come from the mega-region’s decade-long formal partnership.
Tall Stories 491: Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Andrew Mueller takes us to the Australian War Memorial to find out the nature of and reasons for its recent refit.
What energy should we take into 2026 in order to face climate change head on?
We meet Dr Gary Yohe, a Nobel Peace prize recipient for his work on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Then: we discover the stories behind Britain’s cooling towers, a brutalist structure that once dominated our skylines.
Tall Stories 490: How renovations stripped Bangkok’s Robot Building of its personality
Tomás Pinheiro explains how an act of urban erasure in the Thai capital stole the charm from one of the city’s iconic structures.
The best of ‘Tall Stories’ in 2025
Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, rounds up his favourite episodes of ‘Tall Stories’ from 2025.
The best of 2025
Monocle’s editor-in-chief Andrew Tuck recalls some of his favourite interviews and reports from the year on ‘The Urbanist’.
How healthcare-facility design can improve the lives of all city dwellers
We assess how the design of healthcare facilities can improve not just the experience of treatment but also the neighbourhoods in which these centres stand.
Tall Stories 489: Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island
Gregory Scruggs tells us the tale of the oldest existing synagogue in the United States.
