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
City animals
We meet some friendly otters in Singapore, go on a night out with some Spanish bats and board a plane via JFK’s new animal terminal, the Ark. Plus: falcon-spotting in London with the ‘grandmother of peregrines’.
Hit the john!
There’s very little glamour in the way cities get rid of human waste. But it is important to see how they are doing this around the world: from loos at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the new public facilities in Madrid to a public toilet playing classical music…
Green spaces
Parks and gardens can provide a much needed escape from the day-to-day rush in a city. This week we discover London’s newest community garden south of the river, head to the outskirts of Vienna for a members-only green living experience and catch up with the Nature Society of Singapore.
Historic preservation, cycling and 100 Resilient Cities
We talk to Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, about the quest to revitalise historic buildings in the US. Plus: architecture’s influence on the way we learn, cycling in Hong Kong and part two of our interview with Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities.
Abandoned buildings
Some buildings are completely derelict and inspire their fair share of urban myths while plans to repurpose long-abandoned structures mean that they’re often left in limbo. Plus: we chat to Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities.
Bicycles: hop on
As more and more people choose to hop on a bike rather than a crammed tram, we examine the cycle revolution that is just around the corner. We see how bike tours are improving one of Johannesburg’s poorest communities, check out cycling in traffic-prone Cairo and discuss how bicycles are…
Beyazit, biennales and bikes
We catch up with the Lebanese pavilion at the London Design Biennale, check out the newly renovated Beyazit State Library in Istanbul and explore Moscow’s disappearing kiosks. Plus: the latest trends in urban cycling from Eurobike 2016.
Escaping the city
City life can be a little full on. We find out why it feels good to get away from the concrete, the crowds and the chaos and highlight a few quiet spots in which to slow down before getting back to the bustle of our cities.
Parades
We hand over the stage to the streets of our cities as we examine the impact of annual parades and ask why we flock together to watch neatly choreographed military marches and people dancing in colourful costumes.
