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
The power of the mayor
With local elections in the UK this week and a mayoral race in New York later this year, we look at the role of local government and how it can actively change the lives of citizens for the better.
Tall Stories 255: M+ Museum, Hong Kong
Monocle’s Nina Milhaud visits a newly constructed museum space in Hong Kong that aspires to express Asia’s rich visual culture.
Olympics special part two: Legacy
We examine how the Olympic Games can change our cities for the better and discuss the potential that the event can unleash in urban areas. Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, talks to Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympic Games at the IOC, and Hannah Burns, its associate director…
Tall Stories 254: Trbovlje chimney, Slovenia
Monocle’s Guy De Launey braves the heights of Europe’s tallest chimney to show us one way to grapple with such an enormous structure after it loses its original purpose.
Olympics special, part one: Tokyo 2020
For many cities, the Olympic Games are an opportunity to show to the world why they are great metropolises and a tool for reinventing themselves. In episode one of our two-part series, we look at the upcoming Games, Tokyo 2020. Monocle’s editor in chief Andrew Tuck speaks with Gavin McAlpine,…
Tall Stories 253: Torre Fara, Chiavari
We explore a story of rebirth and repurpose on the Italian Riviera.
Can a building be bad?
This week we look at controversial built environments, often the legacy of dictatorships and fascism, and how cities around the world have dealt with their pasts.
Tall Stories 252: Cinemateca, Montevideo
We visit the new home for the national film archive of Uruguay.
Urban lighting
We might not think about it very often but high-quality urban lighting is a determining factor in how we experience our cities. In this episode we look at the history of light in urban environments, how they can make places safer and even nighttime design. Plus: how crucial lighting is…
Tall Stories 251: Precollinear Park, Turin
We stop by a linear park constructed along a stretch of unused tram lines, conceived by the Torino Stratosferica collective.
