The Urbanist

We visit a newly pedestrianised Oxford Street with the Oxford Street Development Corporation’s Nabeel Khan and Julian Lewis of East, the architecture firm behind the first phase of the transformation. This is our verdict.

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Tom Lewis tells us what Manila’s Coconut Palace – one of the venues for the upcoming Asean summit – can tell us about Filipino politics, both past and present.

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We report from the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s 2026 summit with its CEO and incoming chair. Plus: building big in Brazil with Stéphane Domeneghini. And: Jeddah Tower with Ian Norman Miller and John Peronto.

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Gendel Gento discusses the history of iconic broadcasting towers in the Japanese capital and how the Tokyo Skytree came to be.

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We speak to DeafCity Hub’s founder Amanprit Arnold to learn how differently cities are experienced by the deaf community. Then Omnigym’s Kirsti Laasio discusses fitness accessibility for all, including the homeless.

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Ed Stocker takes us to a restored beach club on the Queens coastline which brings a refreshed focus to New York’s oceanside assets.

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Beiruti artist Nadim Karam joins us to discuss how art can be restorative to a city. We also speak to two members of the team behind the new Shenzhen Natural History Museum and preview the agenda for Comotion LA 2026.

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Jane Chambers visits Valparaiso’s oldest funicular to experience how this feat of engineering is still an important part of daily life.

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We discuss how design can make urban centres more liveable amid rising temperatures, looking at the best examples from Rome to Dubai.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to a rare piece of experimental, woman-led 1980’s Soviet design off the coast of Estonia.

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In our second episode from the Livex livability exhibition in Abu Dhabi, we hear from former mayors who helped to make their cities more livable. Plus: designing for wellness.

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Paul Logothetis tells us the history of a section of central Montreal that manages to straddle the line between high class and hip.

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In our first of two episodes from the Livex liveability exhibition in Abu Dhabi, we hear from some exciting guests aiming to build cities that serve their people best.

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Wif Stenger takes us underground in the Finnish city of Vantaa to explore a district heating plan of world-beating proportions.

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In the second of two special episodes in partnership with Studio by IPUT, Carlota Rebelo heads to Ireland to explore how well-run cafes, artisanal bakeries and a chef’s studio are shaping the Dublin of tomorrow.

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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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