The Urbanist

We visit an exhibition in Dubai from Kuwaiti designer Hamad Almuzaini that explores how overlooked items can characterise a city. Plus: The Roofless Truth about homelessness. And: plant adoption at the Barbican Conservatory.

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Valerie Hamilton takes us on a wild ride through one of the world’s largest urban parks for a Munich rite of passage.

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In the first of two special episodes in partnership with Studio by IPUT Real Estate, we convene a discussion with its chief executive, Niall Gaffney, and the founder of design firm Gorgeous Group, Robbie Bargh.

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We speak to the architect and developer behind a new skyscraper planned for the City of London. Then we hear what Lisbon and Maputo – two cities with a shared language and culture – can learn from each other.

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Ivan Carvalho takes us for a tour inside a tech-focused campus where greenery is also given its fair share of attention. 

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From Manchester championing the decentralisation of design expertise to Toronto’s technique for getting more out of transit-oriented developments, we explore two planning concepts named after their home cities.

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Tomos Lewis takes us to a seemingly out-of-place public art installation currently floating on Lake Ontario.

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We convene a roundtable discussion with Gosha Haley, Ludo Campbell-Reid and Gyles Bendall on the future of Auckland, as the metropolis prepares for a new era of mobility with the City Rail Link.

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Gendel Gento explores a recently refurbished hotel bar in Tokyo, which is a must-visit for cinephiles.

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We speak with Madelyn Wils, who is heading up an overhaul of Fifth Avenue, and New York transportation commissioner Mike Flynn about rethinking bus transit. Plus: Alison Donnally from JoeyCo on live-work arrangements.

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Tomas Pinheiro takes us to a Hong Kong tower built for banking that now plays many different roles for the city’s residents.

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We speak to Heather Rolleston from BDP Quadrangle about the firm’s recent condo development in Toronto, which was brought about by an all-women team. Plus: architect Shimul Javeri Kadri explains the idea of “storytelling architecture”.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to Finland’s oldest building, which has become a symbol for Finns and is one of the most visited sights in the country to this day.

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Journalist and author Gabriella Bennett discusses her recent book ‘How To Build A City: Journeys into the Urban Future’. Plus: we take a dip at the Swimmable Cities European Forum in Basel.

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Gregory Scruggs takes us to Vancouver’s Kitsilano Pool, a saltwater bathing spot whose future is uncertain due to its desperate need for refurbishment.

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We look at the new home for London’s Museum of Youth Culture, a Chicago collective who embeds cultural venues into neighbourhoods and traffic solutions for The Beatles’ Abbey Road crossing.

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Alexei Korolyov takes us to one of Vienna’s most architecturally stunning tennis clubs.

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We review a new library project in Oregon, learn about a system helping Swedish city-dwellers share and find out how to build sticky neighbourhoods.

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Gustavo Ocando Alex tells us the story of Hotel Humboldt, which sits on the northern hills of Caracas.

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We assess two long-running London projects: Thomas Heatherwick joins us to talk about Olympia; while Nick Watson outlines the decades of progress at Elephant Park.

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Tomás Pinheiro takes us to West Village in Chengdu to see how local vernacular and modern-day needs go hand in hand in this megaproject.

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The CEO of South Bank Employers’ Group discusses how the area’s institutions work together to help each other flourish. We also speak to the author of a book that imagines a post-carbon future for our cities.

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Verity de Cala takes us to La Bulla in Mexico’s coastal city of Veracruz to see how this park redevelopment project is impacting the local community.

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We consider the relationship between our cities and nature as we explore the sponge city concept and learn how our buildings can be kinder to birdlife. Plus: we head to the Finnish city sprinting for carbon neutrality.

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Noor Amylia Hilda visits a gallant collection of concrete platforms and saltwater pools on Beirut’s coast that has outlasted the Lebanese Civil War, the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war and economic crises.

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We find out how to make the buildings of the future serve the cities of today, with urban-friendly data centre design and reimagined technology districts. Plus: why is Singapore so good at planning for its aging population?

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Rahul Kadri, the principal of IMK Architects, takes us to a jungle escape in the heart of bustling Mumbai.

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To mark the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2026, we look at how a focus on greenery could be a ticket to success. Plus: How Canada is preparing its cities for climate emergencies.

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Laura Kramer explores an oasis inhabited by mythical creatures, a fairy-tale tower and giant mosaic-covered beasts on the outskirts of Zürich.

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From adapting stadiums in the US to the evolution of Mexico City, we explore what hosting a mega-event such as the World Cup can mean for a city. Plus: Torontonians celebrate and how LA Metro handles the rush. 

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Tom Webb takes us to the Chinese city named after the fictional 1933 literary paradise of Shangri-La to sort fact from fiction.

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Tomas Stokke joins us from Haptic, an architectural firm bringing Scandinavian style to global projects. We also meet Dicle Guntas from Forefront, who aims to revive downtowns through art.

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Gendel Gento takes us to the last surviving example of Japan’s “Five Great Prisons” built during the Meiji era, which has recently undergone a transformation.

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Carlota Rebelo reports from the Urban Land Institute’s 2026 Europe Conference in Berlin, where we hear the most interesting voices in the real estate sector assess the challenges facing our cities.

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Sophie Monaghan-Coombs learns about Undercroft Skate Space, a venue that has been central to the London skateboarding scene over the past half century.

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We learn how one strategist is exporting Swedish fika values to help put city planners on the same page. We also hear about Hungary’s push to revive its urban green commons and how Turku Cathedral locks its doors.

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Stefan Dubowski takes us to the beaches of Taiwan’s Wanli district to see a largely abandoned collection of futuristic abodes.

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We check back in with our friends at the Start With Children, and hear from the duo who hosted one of the organisation’s miniseries of lectures, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett. Plus: we hear from this year’s World Urban Forum in Baku.

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Julia Kim rides the Hokusai Special Train – a new journey aimed at foreign tourists to take in breathtaking views of Mt Fuji.

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We explore a new style of neighbourhood that could improve social connection and ease cost of living. We also assess Vietnam’s evolving tourism landscape and see how mayors are fighting back against authoritarianism.

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