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. Nomin…

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OBMI special episode 1: Can you measure what makes a place memorable?
OBMI architect and chairman Tim Peck; associate principal of hospitality Paul Boldy; and associate principal of interior design Maud Capet join Monocle’s Nic Monisse to discuss whether design’s impact can be measured.
22:01
Will banning vehicles improve or ruin London’s Oxford Street?
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.
29:39
Tall Stories 534: What Manila’s Coconut Palace says about Filipino politics
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.
06:59
What’s next for the skyscraper? We find out at the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s 2026 summit
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.
30:37
Tall Stories 533: How Tokyo transitioned from the Tower to the Skytree
Gendel Gento discusses the history of iconic broadcasting towers in the Japanese capital and how the Tokyo Skytree came to be.
06:15
Bringing urban accessibility and enjoyment to the deaf community
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.
26:05
Tall Stories 532: New York's revived coastal focus at the restored Rockaway Ocean Club
Ed Stocker takes us to a restored beach club on the Queens coastline which brings a refreshed focus to New York’s oceanside assets.
07:04
Nadim Karam on the healing power of public art
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.
35:12
Tall Stories 531: How Ascensor Concepción helps Valparaiso reach new heights
Jane Chambers visits Valparaiso’s oldest funicular to experience how this feat of engineering is still an important part of daily life.
05:18
If cities can’t take the heat, they need to rethink their design
We discuss how design can make urban centres more liveable amid rising temperatures, looking at the best examples from Rome to Dubai.
32:56