20 January 2020
05 minutes
This week we head to the alleyways of Shibuya in Japan’s capital to learn how small coincidences can make seemingly impenetrable cities feel a little more welcoming.
20 January 2020
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Urbanist - latest episodes
The positives of public parks, Kitchener’s glockenspiel and the art of letter carving
We assess all the benefits that public green space brings to a city, visit one of the most German cities in Canada to see how the town glockenspiel brings residents together and investigate the ancient art of letter carving…
Tall Stories 435: Streetcars in El Paso
Gregory Scruggs hops aboard a street car in El Paso to find out how the revival of this transportation option has struck a chord with the locals.
Protecting London’s past
We explore some iconic parts of London’s past through ‘London Lost Interiors’, a book revealing the great indoors of the UK capital. Plus: a cylindrical example of brutalist architecture, Space House, which has been pres…
Tall Stories 434: Millionaire’s Row, George Town
Tomás Pinheiro discusses the history of a prestigious street in the capital of Malaysia’s Penang state and assesses some of the new developments taking over the area.
Utopian Hours 2024
Monocle’s Ed Stocker reports from Turin’s annual festival of urbanism, Utopian Hours, where a collection of inspiring speakers discussed everything from meanwhile spaces to climate resilience. Plus: we visit the river Po…
Tall Stories 433: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Sou Fujimoto
Each week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and buil…
US elections special
We are using the upcoming US election to put a spotlight on American cities and the challenges they face. We discuss housing struggles, how to get around, the changing world of work, the resulting state of downtown cores…
Tall Stories 432: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Sandra Barclay
Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and bui…
WEF: Urban Transformation Summit
Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from the World Economic Forum’s annual Urban Transformation Summit, which took place in San Francisco this week. We discover the city’s plans to build a resilient waterfront, hear about…
Tall Stories 431: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Kjetil Thorsen
Every week we invite one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to discuss their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and…
Designing for nature
In a special episode in collaboration with the Holcim Foundation Awards, we look at how to design nature into our cities and foster sustainability in the building sector. We meet Laura Viscovich, the Holcim Foundation’s…
Tall Stories 430: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Lina Ghotmeh
Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and bui…
Istanbul special
To mark Monocle’s visit to Istanbul for the annual Quality of Life Conference, we find out what makes the city tick with our local correspondent – Hannah Lucinda Smith. From an up-and-coming neighbourhood to a revitalised…
Tall Stories 429: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Jeanne Gang
Every week on Monocle Radio we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards, the world’s premier competition for sustainable design, to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy…
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat International Conference
We report from the CTBUH International Conference at London’s Barbican Centre where keynote speakers and city-building experts discuss how to do density better.
