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
Reopening our cities
As urban life slowly returns to normal, what sort of cities are we about to encounter? This week we look at the reopening of community centres and hear about plans to temporarily pedestrianise London’s Soho (and why that should be here to stay).
Tall Stories 212: Ljubljana Castle
We visit Ljubljana Castle, a former medieval fortress that’s now at the heart of city life in the Slovenian capital. It hosts everything from award-winning restaurants to a diverse collection of cultural venues.
What’s the role of the police in our cities?
The demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd have put police forces in the spotlight, particularly in the US, where they have reignited debate about the role of the police and whether forces need to be overhauled.
Tall Stories 211: Kolonihaver, Copenhagen
Monocle’s Michael Booth takes us for a walk in a uniquely Danish version of what you might recognise as an allotment.
A good response
We look at some of the better executed reactions to the coronavirus pandemic from countries around the world and assess how cities have been at the core of both the fallout and the recovery.
Tall Stories 210: Brockwell Park, London
Monocle’s Holly Fisher finds solace (and gardening tips) in one part of her neighbourhood green space during lockdown.
The challenge of isolation
We look at how those living in high-density areas, or without any form of home at all, have gone about the tricky task of protecting their health during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tall Stories 209: Tom Parker Fountain, Napier
Monocle’s David Stevens takes us to Napier, on New Zealand’s east coast, to explain how one beachfront fountain symbolises the city’s post-earthquake rebirth.
Moving day
We look at some of the migration habits and moving-day quirks of city dwellers around the world from before the coronavirus outbreak, as well as at how to move an historic red-light district.
Tall Stories 208: Ta Prosfygika, Athens
Venetia Rainey takes us to visit an apartment complex in Athens that still displays many scars from its eventful past.
