The Urbanist

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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A special episode brought to you in collaboration with Arup. We hear from Anna König Jerlmyr, former mayor of Stockholm; Raj Patel, Arup’s chief innovation officer; and award-winning designer Thomas Heatherwick.

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Geetanjali Krishna explores Jaipur’s ‘katlas’ – traditional enclosed market spaces that continue to thrive despite the city’s growing number of shopping malls.

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We discover two projects aiming to deliver a human-centric masterplan: Ion Riva in Turkey and Diriyah in Saudi Arabia. Plus: how the Fleet Street Quarter is reinventing the historic London district.

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Gustavo Ocando Alex takes us to a church in Venezuela’s second city of Maracaibo that helps tell the story of the country’s history.

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Carlota Rebelo reports from the Bloomberg CityLab summit in Madrid, bringing us conversations with the most insightful speakers who have descended on the Spanish capital.

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Tomás Pinheiro heads to Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek to see how the area went from a forgotten district to a sought-after commercial and residential location.

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Bridge designer Ezra Groskin from Moxon Architects talks about how his craft connects our cities. Then: Kate Brown describes the quiet revolutions garnered from tiny gardens in our urban environments.

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Alexei Korolyov takes a ride on Linz’s Grottenbahn – a classic tourist attraction that takes you through one of the city’s former fortification towers.

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We look at the legacy left by Milan’s Expo 2015 and the Olympic Winter Games on urban infrastructure. Then: Ottawa’s winter-transport report. Plus: Hong Kong’s plans to develop 120 hectares of protected wetlands. 

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Camille Rodríguez Montilla investigates the dark history and hopeful future of Caracas’s mall-turned-political-prison – El Helicoide.

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We discuss some of the promises that led to Zohran Mamdani’s election, from affordability and small businesses to transit. Plus: how are immigrant communities reacting to one of their own sitting in city hall?

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to Sajos, in Finland’s northern Lapland, a centre for culture and administration in the Sámi community.

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Guy de Launey reports from Urban Future, a Better Cities event taking place this year in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.

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Gregory Scruggs tells the odd tale of the energy-sapping totem that is Santo Domingo’s Columbus Lighthouse.

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We speak with Apple’s VP of places, Kristina Raspe, about how the tech giant’s real-estate portfolio adds to cities. Then: the changing face of Medellin and we farewell our long-time producer.

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Clarissa Wei climbs Taiwan’s best-known tower to investigate the clever engineering that keeps it in the sky.

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