The Urbanist
The Urbanist
With an influential audience of city mayors, urban planners and architects, this is Monocle’s guide to making better cities, be it new technology, state-of-the-art subways or compact apartments. Nominee in the Smartest Podcast category of the 2019 British Podcast awards.Social links:
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The best of 2025
Monocle’s editor-in-chief Andrew Tuck recalls some of his favourite interviews and reports from the year on ‘The Urbanist’.
30:41
How healthcare-facility design can improve the lives of all city dwellers
We assess how the design of healthcare facilities can improve not just the experience of treatment but also the neighbourhoods in which these centres stand.
28:15
Tall Stories 489: Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island
Gregory Scruggs tells us the tale of the oldest existing synagogue in the United States.
07:29
‘Architecture is Climate’
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.
30:24
Tall Stories 488: The bunker in Schönbornpark, Vienna
Alexei Korolyov visits an air-raid bunker that has laid empty for decades but is now being brought back to life through art.
06:08
MIPIM Asia 2025: What are Asian cities learning from each other?
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.
31:18
Tall Stories 487: Strolling Athens’ stoas
Paul Logothetis takes us to an iconic feature of Athens’ urban fabric – covered walkways offering much needed shade and a space for socialising.
07:09
Testing the pressure on our cities with the 2025 Workforce Preference Barometer
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.
29:47
Tall Stories 486: The towering beauty of Switzerland’s Grande Dixence Dam
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.
06:51
What relationship does South Korea have with public art? Plus: Dubai Design Week and Riba president Chris Williamson.
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.
29:13