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
Cities for all ages
Big cities spend a lot of time focused on youth; building their future on the backs of those with energy and ambition. Yet with ageing populations affecting many urban centres, we ask what cities should do to benefit all age brackets.
The beauty episode
The beauty episode: does a pretty place improve quality of life? And what fits into the category of “beautification” – can baroque architecture and graffiti coexist?
Dying breeds
The dying breeds: Cities are rapidly changing places in the global hierarchy and with all of the new people, new buildings and new things to do, some are inevitably left behind. In this episode we’re looking at some fading classics and also tracking the changes that will help cities of…
World cities
World cities: capitals of commerce, culture, politics or transport are in a bare-knuckle fight to attract the world’s attention. But should every city try to play this game? We look at the savvy world cities who know their target audience.
Site lines
Site lines: how does art, theatre or business respond to the city that it is based in? This episode is a look at what we are calling the site-specific city.
The new urbanists
The new urbanists: who are they? From app entrepreneurs with eyes fixed on solutions-for-cities prize money to film festivals and art shows that bring the conversations about metropolis-making into the mainstream.
Independent cities
Independent cities: we discuss whether London could ever become a separate city state, take a look at which areas work best for independent businesses and visit a café in Vancouver for a digital detox experience. Plus, we find out how Istanbul’s urban landscape is evolving.
The office workspace
The office: being in an environment you love shouldn’t mean having to count down the hours until your commute home. We look at what makes the perfect space for work and what that has to do with the city around it.
The world of logistics
Fast packages: we cover the world of city logistics and lightning-quick services ranging from property maintenance to the use of UAVs, tricycles to miniature railways.
Dogs in the city
Dogs: we spend an hour with man’s best friend and look at the city from a dog’s eye-view. Why are city-slickers gaga over pricey pooch pampering?
