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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
Checking in
It’s a bit of a correspondents special: from New York to Hong Kong, Zürich and a splash of Brazil too.
Tall Stories 75: Hamburg’s Elbstrand
Monocle’s Business editor Matt Alagiah takes us to the west of Hamburg’s city centre to visit an urban beach perched on the north bank of the Elbe River.
Spotlight on Aarhus
We joined the Academy of Urbanism’s 2017 Congress to report from Denmark’s second city of Aarhus, on everything from its waterfront development to participatory urbanism and lessons for other cities. Plus: a special interview with Jan Gehl.
Tall Stories 74: Moscow’s city day
Moscow’s City Day took place earlier this month, as the Russian capital celebrated its 870th anniversary – and city hall made use of a good opportunity to impress.
Urban challenges
We speak to the co-author of ‘The Public Wealth of Cities’ to find out about boosting prosperity in our urban centres. Plus: we head to East London to discover a rooftop dwelling disguised as a warehouse air duct.
Tall Stories 73: Toll houses
Above the hustle and bustle of London’s city life you’ll find a little toll house, which back in the 1700s marked the entrance to the Bishop of London’s estate. We profile these little bastions of resistance.
After Harvey
When Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, no one could have predicted the level of destruction it caused. As floodwaters retreat and rubble is lifted, we shine the spotlight on this city and the way urban areas can start to heal after the grieving is done.
Tall Stories 72: Luma Arles
We visit the Luma Arles creative-arts hub. Made up of former railway warehouses, the site will soon welcome a new architectural feature – a 56-metre tall tower designed by architect Frank Gehry. We check out the view.
Rule-breakers
On what side of the law does your city stand? There are still a few fugitives around, allowing what many other metropolises banned a long time ago: from public nudity to smoking indoors and even a little afternoon dip to cool off – in public that is.
Tall Stories 71: London’s lidos
London boasts almost 20 outdoor swimming pools, mostly built around the 1930s. This week we hear the story of London’s famed lidos.
