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
Knock on wood
We discover the world of luck and fortune in our cities, from how architects apply the Chinese philosophy of feng shui to their work to a district thought to be so lucky that it was named Boa Sorte (‘good luck’ in Portuguese). Plus, we look at superstition in Catholic Italy…
The Happy City
We bring you a special episode from this year’s congress of the Academy of Urbanism. With a focus on happiness and wellbeing, we met with architects, designers and urbanists to discover how to make the most of our cities.
Under the city
We dig way down as we explore what lies underneath our cities, from a river hidden beneath Elizabeth Street in Melbourne to the world’s first subterranean park. Plus: we talk about underground urbanism and how to get people to invest below ground.
On the move
We take the lead from Monocle’s pages as we look at how transport is changing our cities. Tune in as we hitch a ride in a water taxi in Toronto, go to Bolivia’s capital by ‘teleférico’, explore Vienna’s aviation links and meet Beirut’s train guardians.
Let’s hit the mall
From arcades to American-style malls, shopping centres are where you can find everything under one roof. But these – usually gigantic – buildings are not always welcome. This week we head to Beirut and discover an old souk turned mall and revisit the history of Europe’s first covered shopping centre.…
The naked city
Nudity is a significant part of any city, from offbeat laws and regulations to urban naked zones and topless reading clubs. We uncover it all and discover how it impacts on residents. Plus: meet our Urban Hero in media.
The world of money
From the trading floor to the local shop, money can define how we interact with a city and also with one another. We look at how to make financial districts more liveable, discover the heritage of old banks in Budapest, explore one of the remaining open outcry markets and pay…
How nostalgia saved Lisbon
A lot of cities use nostalgic references to rejuvenate city centres but some do it better than others. In this special documentary we find out how looking backwards has been key to the Portuguese capital taking a big leap forward.
The museums that make us
Museums aren’t just for tourists; they are important institutions for cities, too. For residents, they can be anything from a path-finding landmark or a public space to an important way of addressing past conflicts or tackling the challenges of current politics. In this episode, we take a look at some…
City sleepers
It’s a necessity of life but is a city sleep a different kind of sleep? In this episode we look at how a city should deal with sleep in public spaces and the ways in which the urban environment has shaped sleep patterns in Europe. Plus, what are the best…
