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
Death and the city
How do cities plan for the afterlife? We visit the places where space for the dead is almost as expensive as it is for the living. Plus: a modernist approach to the cemetery and the importance of archeology in cities.
Tall Stories 155: Vienna’s sausage stands
They may be plain and boxy but these kiosks are vital meeting places, attracting customers from across social boundaries. Invariably found near landmarks, they engage in a curious architectural dialogue with their grander neighbours.
Urban air mobility
This week we look to the sky. Monocle’s Americas editor at large Ed Stocker reports from Aerial Futures in Boston, where experts gathered to discuss everything from cargo drones to urban-mobility design.
Tall Stories 154: St Andrew’s Church, Mells
Monocle’s editor and host of ‘The Urbanist’ Andrew Tuck takes us to church on this week’s edition of ‘Tall Stories’.r
After the fire
The fire in Notre-Dame brought the world to a standstill. This wasn’t about the human loss or the area affected by it. It was about something bigger: a shared cultural heritage that unites us all – believers and non-believers. It also led us to reflect on the Great Fire of…
Tall Stories 153: Brooklyn Point
Over the past few years, Brooklyn has shape-shifted almost beyond recognition. That change is anchored by City Point, which will be the largest retail and entertainment destination in the borough.
In praise of the city airport
Bigger planes and more flights have forced many cities to move their key airport far from the centre. But there is something special about watching the city from above as you land in what feels like the middle of it. This week we ask what makes a great city airport.
Tall Stories 152: Portland’s Koin Center
Built in 1984, this art deco-style tower by the Hawthorne bridge is one of the most recognisable buildings in the city’s skyline.
Shouting from the rooftops
We explore the many options for urban-rooftop spaces. From city agriculture to solar power, drinking and dining to drone parking, we go through some potential plans for your next upper-level project.
Tall Stories 151: the Otto-Wagner Hospital
A psychiatric hospital built by the giant of 20th-century Austrian architecture, Otto Wagner, is now due to vacate the premises to make way for apartments and a university.
