The Urbanist

Gregory Scruggs tells us the tale of the oldest existing synagogue in the United States.

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We speak to Jeremy Till and Tatjana Schneider – two of the authors behind ‘Architecture is Climate’ – a new book rethinking the industry and its foundations in an age of ecological crisis.

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Alexei Korolyov visits an air-raid bunker that has laid empty for decades but is now being brought back to life through art.

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We report from MIPIM Asia in Hong Kong, where delegates from across the APAC region and beyond discussed solutions to meet the rapid pace of urbanisation. Plus: a city reeling from a devastating fire in Tai Po.

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Paul Logothetis takes us to an iconic feature of Athens’ urban fabric – covered walkways offering much needed shade and a space for socialising.

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JLL’s Sue Asprey Price joins us to discuss the findings from the Workforce Preference Barometer 2025. Then Charlotte McDonald-Gibson reports on the challenges of training for combat in urban environments.

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Jessica Bridger marvels at the tallest dam in Europe, which was constructed in the 1950s and supplies about 20 per cent of Switzerland’s stored energy.

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We speak to South Korean artist Jinjoon Lee about how his country interacts with public art, Inzamam Rashid visits an acclaimed installation from Dubai Design Week and we meet new Riba president Chris Williamson.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to a first-of-its-kind wooden educational building in the Finnish capital.

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We visit the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona to talk shop with the mayor of Kuala Lumpur, an acclaimed futurist, a transportation official from Los Angeles and the event’s director. 

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Ivan Carvalho chronicles the story of Frank Lloyd Wright’s largest public project, the final commission in his impressive body of work.

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We speak to Liz Diller – the mind behind New York’s High Line – visit Bratislava’s first dedicated centre for architecture and urbanism, and assess how Canada is dealing with urban growing pains.

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Noor Amylia Hilda takes us to a much-loved pub founded by a former member of the Lebanese Communist Party.

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Monocle’s man in Milan, Ed Stocker, decamps to Turin to bring us a collection of conversations from Utopian Hours, the festival dedicated to city making. 

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We explore Wilton Park, a stunning 600,000 sq ft development by IPUT, Dublin’s leading property-investment company. Chief executive Niall Gaffney gives us a tour and talks about quality of life in urban settings.

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Charlotte McDonald-Gibson uncovers the modern story behind the US capital’s most infamous building.

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What role does public art play in how we engage with our cities? This week we meet acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson and explore the Sculpture in the City programme in the City of London.

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Alexei Korolyov takes us to the former site of one of Budapest’s largest flour mills, which has been reborn as a lively cultural hub.

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We discover how good design can help the nursing shortage in the United States, learn about Helsinki’s annual herring market and hear how Norway is developing urban robot farming.

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Elna Schütz finds a peaceful stopping-off point amid the urban hustle and bustle at the city library of South Africa’s busiest metropolis.

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We look at the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative teaching mayors how to tackle their cities' challenges, talk about UN-Habitat's global call to action on housing and report from Expo Real and Diriyah.

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Inzamam Rashid tells us how an advertising partnership helped to shape the identity of a burgeoning Dubai.

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We meet Dror Benshetrit, founder of The Bioplanning Institute, who’s reframing urbanism through an ecological design lens. Plus: how the Bundanon Art Museum in Australia teaches cities to better interact with the natural world.

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Join us for a special episode in partnership with IPUT, Dublin’s leading property-investment company. We meet chief executive Nial Gaffney to talk about building community and setting new benchmarks for cities in Ireland.

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Tomás Pinheiro takes us to a space in Rio de Janeiro that brings together all the best offerings from Brazil’s northeastern region and is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

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We find out how cities move crowds safely and efficiently, investigate how design can affect health and wellbeing, and stop by the World Tramdriver Championship in Vienna.

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Mandy Sinclair takes us to Toronto to explore the largest new park opening in a generation, which helps to prevent flooding and provide green space for residents and visitors.

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As the World Design Congress ponders a response to climate change, we meet one of the world’s best architects and an indigenous design expert. Plus: we visit Seattle’s new Waterfront Park.

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Gregory Scruggs unpacks a heritage feature of Dulles International Airport in Washington that to this day gives the terminal a unique charm.

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What are Cape Town’s secrets to liveability, how do you act like a local in Barcelona and why is the UAE the best place to bring people together?

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Monocle’s Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us the story of the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital, founded in the 13th century in London.

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We visit one of the US’s more successful attempts at a utopian society, as well as a mass-timber tower in Portland and the winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

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Valerie Hamilton takes us to the world’s oldest public-housing complex, which has a very unique payment system.

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We explore a crowdfunding platform for community projects, learn how to personalise the airport-retail experience and head to the Olten Chilbi folk festival in Switzerland.

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Noor Amylia Hilda takes us to the outskirts of Beirut to visit a monument for peace constructed from instruments of war.

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We unpack two stories exemplifying the principle that thoughtful design can have a deeper impact than just being pleasant to look at.

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Liam Syed takes us to a café in Damascus that serves up regional favourites blended with stories of the Syrian capital’s past.

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We assess how cultural spaces, music venues and arts festivals can bring a city economic success.

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Wif Stenger describes how the so-called “ugliest building in Oulu” can be redesigned to serve as a community treasure.

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We chair a roundtable conversation on the future of the office and how good design can bring people back to our city centres.

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to Budapest’s pioneering “ruin bar” to see how urban environments persevere through destruction.

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We review some strong city journalism to see how these publications and productions are helping city residents to stay informed about the environments that they live, work and play in.

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Sheena Rossiter tells us the story of Tyra, the world’s largest dinosaur, and how the community and the rest of Canada are reacting to news of her removal.

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We are in the United States this week to see how one of the world’s most car-dependent nations can make its streets more pedestrian friendly.

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To celebrate the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2025, we record a special edition of the programme in association with Brookfield from the rooftop of their smart new offices in Mayfair, London. 

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Naomi Xu Elegant investigates the largest office-to-residential conversion in American history, which was recently completed in New York.

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We look at adaptive reuse through two lenses: a blockbuster case in the UK capital and an attempt to get European cities to legislate for less demolition.

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Tomas Pinheiro explores how the millennia-old settlement of Shanghai has grown into China’s most populous urban area.

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We look at the effects that war and conflict can have on our cities, and how we go about rebuilding our urban areas better than before.

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Charlotte McDonald-Gibson explains the design secrets and quirks behind this neoclassical US Supreme Court Building in Washington.

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We’re calling another meeting of ‘The Urbanist’ bookclub to review two titles: ‘Designing the American Century’ and ‘Women Architects at Work’.

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Guy De Launey recounts how Kupari Resort went from jewel in the Adriatic crown to derelict disaster zone, as well as what is planned for its revival.

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Can swimmability be an indicator for good quality of life and a healthy city? We report from the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit in Rotterdam to hear about those working to improve urban waterways.

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Henry Rees-Sheridan recalls what became of Zaha Hadid’s plans for the Cardiff Bay Opera House.

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From inclusive neighbourhoods and climate-resilient design to mobility and destination development, we explore how infrastructure is being redefined – not just as roads and bridges, but as a tool for better living.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to a historic hotel in Estonia that has stayed true to its design roots for nearly a century.

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We look at urbanism from different lenses, from a neighbourhood built on independent brands to a view on how the architecture field can innovate. And: what is ‘The Design Perspective’?

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to a 50-year-old cinema in Jaipur, which is managing to give modern multiplexes a run for their money.

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Monocle magazine’s editor, Josh Fehnert, is joined by editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, foreign editor, Alexis Self, and senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, to discuss what makes a city truly liveable.

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We explore an innovative pay-to-grow scheme that is helping to encourage tree growth in Sierra Leone’s capital city. Plus, Stockholm’s Battle of the Elms and making a greener Denver.

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Elena Kuji Buteică guides us through Casa Vintilă Brătianu’s storied past and the careful restoration turning it into a space for community and public life in the heart of the Romanian capital.

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We recap the successes of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. Plus: worker housing in Saudi Arabia and a new urban-farming development in London’s Canada Water district.

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Sally Howard tells us the secrets behind a repolished jewel in Manhattan’s hospitality crown.

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Born partly out of the necessity to store the V&A’s extensive collection, the V&A East Storehouse is already a curious asset in its own right. We uncover its design, construction and operation.

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Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us how the new V&A East Storehouse is bringing the memory of brutalist London housing estate Robin Hood Gardens to life.

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Carlota Rebelo reports from Bratislava for the second edition of the Start with Children summit, unpacking how child-friendly design can lead to better cities for all. 

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Liam Syed takes us to a cultural facility in the West Bank, which provides its users with an outlet for their cultural expression and helps to strengthen the area’s creative infrastructure.

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From a Mexican architect’s greatest structures to the famous London Eye, we explore the effect that iconic pieces of the built environment can have on their cities.

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Camille Rodríguez Montilla takes us to a masterfully designed public library in the heart of Colombia’s capital.

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We recap some of the most exciting city-focused conversations from Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Jakarta.

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Alexei Korolyov takes us to a redesigned hydraulics facility that is taking on a new life in the Austrian capital.

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As Canada heads to the polls, we take a look at how urbanism made its way onto the ballot, from the housing shortage and cities’ response to tariffs to plans for Toronto’s Downsview Airport.

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Francesca Gilks takes us to a Swedish open-air amphitheatre built in a former limestone quarry.

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We delve into the power of sports to help propel the regeneration of an entire neighbourhood. We’ll explore how smart stadium design can help cities grow in a more sustainable way and hear from the architecture firm behind the world’s largest landscape-led project, Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard.

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Carla Hyenne takes us to Matadero Madrid to see how some well-timed redevelopment nearby made it an even more attractive destination for visitors.

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What are some of the ways that heating the air and water in our buildings can be made greener? We consider innovative solutions from the capture and redistribution of a building’s warmth to a solar project in London that is decarbonising The British Library’s water-heating process. Plus: we visit one of India’s historic stepwells to see how the ancient structures could provide an answer to the country’s water-supply woes.

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Geetanjali Krishna explores the exhibits at a unique station in the Indian capital, which aims to slow down hurried commuters and provide them with a chance for discovery.

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It’s all about New York this week: Jonathan Tarleton talks about his new book ‘Homes for Living’, which explores the privatisation of two housing co-ops; we look at traffic and downtown gridlock; and discover how the ‘City of Yes’ plan will bring more density to the city.

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Paul Logothetis takes us to the world’s longest natural skating rink.

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Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, is joined on stage by Muyiwa Oki, the president of RIBA, alongside our executive producer, Carlota Rebelo, and design editor, Nic Monisse, to explore how thoughtful architecture, visionary developers and pioneering city-makers can redefine our cities.

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Gregory Scruggs explains the story of an unlikely invention that changed the fortunes of ski towns worldwide.

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We report from San Francisco as Monocle’s Christopher Lord speaks with some of the key players and devotees of the city’s downtown – an area that has most keenly felt the effects of the post-pandemic lull. The city’s mayor, as well as property developers and local business people, weigh in on the direction of travel they see for this gold-rush city known for its boom-and-bust nature.

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Sarah Grice explores the history and current day offerings of the Warburg Institute Library.

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We are on the ground in Cannes for the global urban festival Mipim, where we speak with mayors from around the world who are looking to stoke interest in their cities.

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Tomas Pinheiro tells us how concert venue Circo Voador became so intertwined with Brazilian music that it was named an intangible cultural heritage site.

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We explore The Round, a new almost 93,000 sq m landmark development in London, to hear how developers are putting community at its core. Plus: we’re in Bangkok to discover how the city is tackling its suffocating air pollution. 

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Camille Rodríguez Montilla takes us to Universidad Central de Venezuela to see why it means so much to its students, alumni and the city as a whole.

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We look back at snapshots of our cities as we speak to the man behind Milan’s Bosco Verticale a decade on from construction, revisit a collection of essays 14 years after they were written while strolling the streets of Toronto and see how the refurbishment of a traditional house in Old Delhi is giving a view into the city’s past.

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Elna Schütz takes us to a park in Lima best known for its large number of well-cared-for resident cats.

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We explore how going digital can contribute to a thriving city democracy and improve other things such as climate resilience and urban loneliness. The CEO of digital community-engagement platform Go Vocal describes its benefit for communities, the developer behind Europe’s most digitally connected neighbourhood tells us how they did it and we stop by the new Riyadh Metro.

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Alexei Korolyov tells us about the refurbishment of one of Vienna’s most important modernist buildings.

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We take a look at three developments in the UK capital that will be worth a visit in the months to come. From a revitalised piece of industrial history to a colourful waterside park in a grey business district and the big tenants pitching up beside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to a temporary city on the banks of the Ganges river to investigate a large example of temporary urbanism brought about by a Hindu pilgrimage.

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We explore how keeping culture in mind when planning our cities can have effects beyond just arts-related improvements. The people behind ‘The Routledge Handbook of Urban Cultural Planning’ tell us more. Plus: we visit a treasured museum in Lima and look ahead to some cultural institutions that are set to open in 2025.

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Carla Hyenne describes the history of Paris’s Sacré-Cœur basilica, which holds a history that many of those who visit the monument today might not be familiar with.

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We discuss the environmental causes, political response and mobility fallout surrounding the Los Angeles wildfires. We examine some of the thousands of structures lost to this catastrophic blaze that tore through many of LA’s neighbourhoods and communities.

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Petri Burtsoff visits his home city to see how it has revived its “canopy kiosks”, which have been a distinctive feature of the Finnish capital for a century.

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From creating more resilient cities to how architecture can lift a community, cities hold the key to meaningful change in the world. Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos to find out where cities are headed next.

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Tomos Lewis ponders a potential spring clean of Canada’s official prime ministerial residence.

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How can the materials with which we choose to build affect the economics, sustainability and resilience of our built environment? We explore the material world through a recent title about available resources, an explainer on using soil for structures and a visit to the world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems.

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