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.

Episodes

July 17, 2025 32 mins

We look at adaptive reuse through two lenses: a blockbuster case in the UK capital and an attempt to get European cities to legislate for less demolition.

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Tomas Pinheiro explores how the millennia-old settlement of Shanghai has grown into China’s most populous urban area.

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We look at the effects that war and conflict can have on our cities, and how we go about rebuilding our urban areas better than before.

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Charlotte McDonald-Gibson explains the design secrets and quirks behind this neoclassical US Supreme Court Building in Washington.

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We’re calling another meeting of ‘The Urbanist’ bookclub to review two titles: ‘Designing the American Century’ and ‘Women Architects at Work’.

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June 30, 2025 8 mins

Guy De Launey recounts how Kupari Resort went from jewel in the Adriatic crown to derelict disaster zone, as well as what is planned for its revival.

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Can swimmability be an indicator for good quality of life and a healthy city? We report from the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit in Rotterdam to hear about those working to improve urban waterways.

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Henry Rees-Sheridan recalls what became of Zaha Hadid’s plans for the Cardiff Bay Opera House.

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From inclusive neighbourhoods and climate-resilient design to mobility and destination development, we explore how infrastructure is being redefined – not just as roads and bridges, but as a tool for better living.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to a historic hotel in Estonia that has stayed true to its design roots for nearly a century.




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June 12, 2025 31 mins

We look at urbanism from different lenses, from a neighbourhood built on independent brands to a view on how the architecture field can innovate. And: what is ‘The Design Perspective’?

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to a 50-year-old cinema in Jaipur, which is managing to give modern multiplexes a run for their money.

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Monocle magazine’s editor, Josh Fehnert, is joined by editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, foreign editor, Alexis Self, and senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, to discuss what makes a city truly liveable.

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We explore an innovative pay-to-grow scheme that is helping to encourage tree growth in Sierra Leone’s capital city. Plus, Stockholm’s Battle of the Elms and making a greener Denver.

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Elena Kuji Buteică guides us through Casa Vintilă Brătianu’s storied past and the careful restoration turning it into a space for community and public life in the heart of the Romanian capital.

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We recap the successes of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. Plus: worker housing in Saudi Arabia and a new urban-farming development in London’s Canada Water district.

 

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Sally Howard tells us the secrets behind a repolished jewel in Manhattan’s hospitality crown.

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May 22, 2025 27 mins

Born partly out of the necessity to store the V&A’s extensive collection, the V&A East Storehouse is already a curious asset in its own right. We uncover its design, construction and operation.

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Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us how the new V&A East Storehouse is bringing the memory of brutalist London housing estate Robin Hood Gardens to life.

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May 15, 2025 33 mins

Carlota Rebelo reports from Bratislava for the second edition of the Start with Children summit, unpacking how child-friendly design can lead to better cities for all. 

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